Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge
by Electromagnetic x Pikachu
Summary: A collection of short stories from various fandoms in honor of Valentine's Day 2012! Ratings K-M. Contains Canon x OC & Canon x Canon couples
1. Prompt 1: Time

**A/N: [First fanfic of the ****Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge**] My hands hurt like hell after typing this... I really enjoyed it, though. I had so much inspiration when I was writing it so I'm pretty proud at how it turned out. w

**Hanako, Masanori, and Kasumi are © to sunnofabeach (on deviantART); Sesshōmaru is © to Takahashi Rumiko's InuYasha; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #1: Time**

"In time, all things grow old and weak, but my love for you only grows strong and better with every second of every day." – Unknown

Time. Such precious time. That was always something Hanako had.

The clock of her life would tick away, sometimes slow and sometimes fast. Seconds would change to minutes. Minutes to hours. Hours to days. And so on…

Two centuries had passed before Hanako knew it or even realized it. She wasn't the type to worry too much about the future, though. Some of the littlest things in her life gave her the greatest of pleasures.

One particular memory gave her the most pleasure of them all. It was when he first entered their castle as a guest.

_It was exactly one hundred years when Hanako met him. He was taking a short walk to his guest room when caught the young girl by surprise that evening._

_It felt as if the moon stopped orbiting and all the stars dimmed and lit up at the sight of him, as if they were blinking._

_He was a dashing man – a dog demon, to be exact – of great stature, silky, silver-white hair cascading in such a graceful manner down his back._

_His eyes…an intense golden shade like the sun itself, lashes that were long and elegant like a woman's. They were accompanied by a piercing glance that could shoot straight through a man's heart, deep into his soul._

_To be perfectly honest, a maiden like Hanako had never gazed upon such a man of such perfect beauty. She gawked in his direction, her mouth slightly agape. She was at a loss for words._

_The gaze didn't last long, though. Only about a few seconds before he turned his eyes ahead to keep walking._

_Hanako watched him leave, her heart slightly broken at the sight of the mysterious man's back to her. Her heart was beating at an erratic rate and it only increased as he got farther._

_"No…" She begged in a whisper. Her heart pushed her to speak louder, her body encouraging her to pursue him._

_She reached out a pale hand, her fingers just an inch away from his perfectly clawed hand. Softly, she touched his hand as the words finally left her mouth. "Please wait!"_

_That was when he stopped walking, remaining silent. He turned his head slowly as he fixated his gaze on the girl. Hanako felt successful in getting his attention but looked down when she felt something warm._

_Her hand was holding his, her fingers intertwined with his limp ones. The girl's face blanched and then flushed a bright crimson at the sudden contact as she quickly retracted._

_"P-Please excuse me."_

_Instead of a response, the demon merely stared at her, his gaze never leaving her face._

Looking back on it, it was such an awkward first meeting for Hanako. It mortified her just to think about it. The blush slowly returned to her cheeks as she looked down at her hands.

She hated herself for not speaking to him after that time; she wouldn't normally be so nervous around a man, for she has spoken to various men in her lifetime.

But for some reason, this man managed to strike her dumb with one glance alone. It frustrated her for becoming so submissive by him yet at the same time, she felt exhilarated by his presence alone.

Hanako pressed a finger to her lips, thought crossing her mind. In her feminine heart of hearts, she imagined kissing him. What would those lips feel like against hers?

"Lord Sesshōmaru…" she silently whispered.

Would he ever return? Even after all these years, would he _want_ to come back to her?

~ ღ ~

Sesshōmaru could remember such a memory. The soft touch of her fingers padded against his, giving his hand a gentle, unconscious squeeze. It was unusual that his mind would even consider remembering something he would normally consider "insignificant."

The girl "Hanako" was a bit younger at the time of their first meeting. He didn't think much of her, for she was more of a child at the time. Now, that a century had passed since that night, he wondered.

How has she grown? She must have developed into a decent woman if she was under Masanori's care.

He knew it had been one hundred years since he went to visit Masanori and his wife; though he was on a quest for the Tetsusaiga as well as the head of the half-demon Naraku, he was around Masanori's castle. It would have been impolite not to stop by.

Despite being aloof and distant, Sesshōmaru still had great pride in his status a "lord," being the son of the great Inu No Taishō.

"Ah! Lord Sesshōmaru!"

The front gate guards bowed to him, commanding the lookout to open the gate doors and inform Masanori of his arrival.

Servants bowed as he passed until he was escorted to Masanori in the garden. His wife was standing beside him and when Sesshōmaru appeared before them, they greeted him with smiles.

"Greetings, Lord Sesshōmaru! How have you been?"

He remained stoic and taciturn in his response. "Lord Masanori, Lady Kasumi. It's been a while."

There was a chuckle from the lord and lady who led him deeper inside the garden and towards the castle. "We have been waiting your return so it's always nice to see you're still as lively as ever!"

Masanori gave a command to the servants to prepare a feast in honor Sesshōmaru, although the dog demon refused. He merely said that he was in the area and had to be on his way.

Just then, Hanako had received word about Sesshōmaru's sudden return. She had her maid fix her hair and makeup while another servant chose a more elegant kimono to wear.

Her heart fluttered at the thought of seeing him again. Her secret prayers had been answered. She thanked the gods for blessing her with another chance.

Word spread to Hanako that Sesshōmaru had entered the castle and she hurried out to meet with him with her ladies-in-waiting following behind.

More and more, her heartbeat increased in pace and her courage slowly drained from her. She bit her lip and scolded herself to calm down.

You have more class than this! she had told herself inwardly. Just greet him in the same manner you greet a lord.

Hanako was led to the porch in front of the garden, greeted by her parental figures. Then she saw him. His golden eyes greeted her first. The red color returned to her cheeks.

_It's been so long – so much time has passed since I've looked upon you. I've prayed to the gods for another moment like this…and now…_

There were so many things she wished to say, so many things she desperately wanted to scream out to him.

But a bow of her head and a smile was all, soon followed by a "Welcome back, Lord Sesshōmaru…"


	2. Prompt 2: Cherry Blossom

**A/N: [Second Fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Just like the first fanfic, my hands were _still_ hurting when I wrote this. But all the feels and plotbunnies I had... They had to be put down somewhere~ xD**

**Kuran Cassie is © to Sky-Rose-of-the-Moon (on deviantART); Kuran Kaname is © to Hino Matsuri's Vampire Knight; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #2: Cherry Blossom**

**Part 1**

"Love distills desire upon the eyes, love brings bewitching grace into the heart." – Euripides

They fluttered and floated through the air. Like perfect, pink feathers they ascended from the tree branches. Like angels' wings, they lightly touch the floor and beautified the earth.

Springtime was always beautiful at famous and pristine Cross Academy. Because of the abundance in trees and other greenery, the school looked like a massive garden.

During the spring season, there were times when the students would gather together under some of the cherry blossom trees and have lunch. Some teachers would even teach outside. It felt like a luxurious, peaceful paradise as if one was in heaven itself.

Around this time, the Kuran couple, Cassie and her husband Kaname, had decided to make a stop to their old high school. Their friends, also former students of Cross Academy, had planned to visit as well.

For the springtime cultural festival, the academy was holding a class reunion for their graduates with most of the events dedicated to the cherry blossoms.

Thousands of former students flocked to Cross Academy to meet with old teachers, see ex-classmates, and participate in the festivities.

With her husband, hand in hand, Cassie stared in awe at her old school. It had some new changes and had grown tremendously since her graduation. "Wow! It's so big!"

Kaname let out a laugh. "I had heard from the Chairman that they had done some renovation after we left. They had also planned to have a section for junior high students."

Around and towards the entrance to the school were booths galore. The high school students were selling various treats and toys and there were also different games to play with cheap but cute prizes.

Small children giddily ran through the pathways with their parents, begging to play the goldfish games. Couples, both young and old, shared sweets, like chocolate bananas on sticks, and played for prizes to give to their sweethearts.

Cassie giggled when she spotted a booth with handmade dolls and other trinkets. A young, brown-haired girl sat behind the booth with a saccharine smile adorned on her face.

"Hello! How may I help you~?" she chirped.

Green eyes scanned the merchandise and Cassie spotted a small, pale-faced doll in a sophisticated pink kimono. Her face was painted like a geisha's and her hair had a few sparkling ornaments tucked neatly inside a bun.

She squealed and picked it up, showing it to her husband. "Oh, Kaname! Isn't she so cute? Will you buy it for me? Pretty please?"

Her husband chuckled and took out his wallet, handing a couple of bills to the young girl. "I hope this will be enough to pay for this, am I right?"

The brunette high schooler took it happily, swooning over such a handsome face. "Of course! Th-Thank you so much! Do you need a bag?"

He shook his head, shooting her his trademark smile. "No. I think we'll be all right. Thank you for your service."

Heart pounding, the girl almost fainted. She waved happily as the couple walked off to another booth. "Have a nice day!"

Kaname waved back politely and Cassie pouted. "There's no need to be _that_ friendly," she mumbled as she clutched onto his arm.

"Oh?" Kaname smirked. "Is it possible that you're jealous?"

The blonde's pout grew more playful as she tightened her grip. "Maybe I am."

Kaname and Cassie traveled inside the school to take a look inside the interior. It still looked the same as before but with decorations for the festival. Current Day Class students greeted the couple asking them to participate in the diverse class events. One of the most popular was a maid/butler café.

The couple was directed to a table and one of the student maids informed them that their server would arrive soon.

Opening the menu, Cassie licked her lips at the interesting dessert choices. "Mmm… I wish I could eat them all~!"

Everything was based on the cherry blossom with pictures of the finished dishes and were accompanied with fresh green tea.

_Milk chocolate Petit Gâteau and vanilla ice cream in the shape of cherry blossom petals…_

_Cherry blossom-shaped strawberry daifuku covered in sweet, milky cream…_

_Cherry blossom-shaped checkerboard cookies…_

_Sakuramochi and wagashi in the shape of a cherry blossom flower_

_Flower-shaped blancmange topped with a light pink, sauce-like cream…_

_Angel Food Cake in the shape of a cherry blossom, decorated with white and pink icing…_

_Vanilla and strawberry cakes sweetened with cherry blossoms..._

While Cassie was busy deciding, she could hear Kaname's voice across from her, as if he were laughing. She looked up slightly and noticed some of the maids giggling and fawning over him. He waved kindly to them, which made his wife even more jealous.

_Come on! Who do those girls think they are?_ She frowned and opened her mouth to confront Kaname. However, a handsome student butler caught her attention. Cassie smiled mischievously.

"Oh, butler!" she cooed. "I know what I would like to order~"

The young man walked over and plastered on his business smile. "Yes, Ma'am? What would you like~?"

Cassie smiled as she trailed her finger up his chest. "I would order you but you're not on the menu," she giggled, making the boy blush profusely.

After waving to the girls, Kaname heard his wife's laughter and turned to see her flirting with the butler. He was most displeased but maintained his composure, not wanting to make a scene.

He knew why she was doing it and it was one of Kaname's biggest pet peeves; she just _loved_ making him jealous because she knew his reactions and enjoyed them.

She continued to flirt as he came back with their orders. Cassie smiled and picked up her fork, ready to take a bite out of her cake. However, Kaname snatched her plate away.

"Hey!"

He smirked at her again, snatching her fork and taking the first bite of her dessert. "And that was for making me jealous."

The blonde pouted playfully. "Very funny." She took his plate and munched on his pastry with a smile. "And now we're even."

~ ღ ~

**Part 2**

"Love is the flower you've got to let grow." – John Lennon

After their little snack at the café, Cassie and Kaname continued their private tour in the school.

It led them to the school theater where a show was supposedly being held in a few minutes. The show was put together by the Traditional Japanese Dance Club and called "Sakurahime."

Slowly, the theater was being filled up with anticipating people and Cassie pulled on her husband's arm. "Let's hurry and get some seats! I'd love to see it!"

He followed behind her and they sat in the third row from the front. It was a good view, allowing them to see the stage.

The theater echoed with the sounds of excited clapping as the curtains began to rise, letting the light shine throughout.

A petite girl covered head to toe in cherry blossom petals was hunched over with her hands covering her face. She slowly lifted herself up when a soft, soothing tune began to play. Fake cherry blossoms began to fall from the stage ceiling as she moved across the platform.

Her hands and feet were bare and dainty, as graceful as a swan. Her long, black hair swirled around in a fluid motion. Her eyes remained close as she moved, careful not to trip or bump into anything.

The audience was captivated with such a girl. She had such talent; one could assume that she practiced relentlessly. Even Cassie and Kaname couldn't take their eyes off of her.

Cherry blossom petals continued to descend and gave her such an ethereal glow as she was covered in them. She twirled and spun around on the stage and moved her hands and feet, even extending her leg to reveal some skin.

Gradually, the music quickened its pace and rhythm. The girl hastened her feet as she kept up with the beat. Her face twisted and distorted as if to display emotions of anger and frustration.

Her moves got much swifter and almost god-like, dashing up and down both sides of the stage. If one looked closely, they could see tears run down her face and wet the floor. Her feet slid across the wet stage and she almost tripped; it was all part of the dance.

Everyone gasped at seeing her almost fall but she didn't seem fazed. Her dance went on, revolving in a wild and unpredictable pattern. Her arms extended, falling and lifting, blowing the cherry blossom petals in different directions.

It grew more intense as more tears fell. She ran back and forth with her arms held behind her. She then stopped, collapsing to her knees, and looked towards the fake sky.

A flower fell slowly into her hands and she held it close to her chest. The tears wet the flower and she let out a loud, shrill cry like a ghost that could send chills down the spine. The lights dimmed and eventually went off.

The audience was silent, a bit fearful, but they still clapped and cheered. All of the club members came to the stage, including the girl, and bowed respectfully to the crowd. Cassie and Kaname joined them in the standing ovation.

"That was amazing!" the blonde exclaimed. "But I wonder why her eyes were closed the entire time. It must've required a lot of practice to dance with your eyes shut."

Kaname smiled. "That girl's blind," he said. "I remember rumors going on about how talented she was even with a disability. She really impressed the audience; I'm sure she'll attempt to go pro one day."

Behind the school was a large garden tended to by the students. Full of vibrant and multi-colored flowers and plants originating from multiple countries, several times it has been considered one of the most beautiful out of all the gardens in Japan.

Throughout her four years in high school, Cassie would go to the garden. She would usually skip class to walk around and admire the flora. Any doubts or bad thoughts she may have had would disappear at once.

Whether it be rain or shine, good weather or bad, she would sit in the same spot all by herself and think. It lightened her mood with the sight of the lovely flowers and shrubs as well as the solitude since not many people entered the garden, unless they were students coming to tend to it. To her, it was her own little world of comfort.

However, her world was revealed more and more to Kaname. He always knew if she had skipped classes and found her in the garden. Sworn to secrecy, he would sit to talk with her about whatever was on her mind. This became one of the best spots to hang out, for it was quiet, allowing them to laugh or even cry as loud as they wanted. The garden brought back such wonderful memories for Cassie and Kaname when they entered it during that spring festival.

In the middle of the garden was a large cherry blossom tree, the largest found in the entire city. The wind blew and the tree swayed ever so slightly, as if it was waving at them like an old friend.

Light pink petals detached themselves from the branches and covered the ground around it. The tree had been standing for over a hundred years and still stood strong with roots buried deep into the earth.

When they were dating, the two purebloods would sneak off to the tree. They would kiss, embrace, and even once made love. Through it all, the tree remained quiet and shaded them with its motherly branches. She never told a soul…

Cassie remembered when Kaname also proposed to her under that very tree. It would always bring her to tears whenever she looked at it.

"Even after so many years," she whispered, the hot tears running down her face, "it still looks so beautiful."

She smiled, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers as she spun around giddily. Her husband stood beside her, loving the lit-up look in her eyes.

"Yes, you're right." He placed a hand on the trunk and inhaled the beautiful scent himself. "It brings back so many memories."

Kaname felt his wife's arms wrap around him. She grinned as she pressed her nose against his before pulling him into a kiss. He gladly reciprocated, letting her pull him further down.

"I'm glad we came," Cassie told him. "Brings me back to the good ol' days. Doesn't it do that with you?"

Her husband nodded. "I'm glad we came, too. It gave me a good reminder of where I found my beautiful wife."

She giggled and kissed him once more as the petals swirled around them once more, the cherry blossom tree shielding them from the outside world.


	3. Prompt 4: Rain

**A/N: [Fourth Fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] I think Byakuya would be a pretty _interesting_ father but I'm pretty sure how awkward it would be to talk to him about "private" matters. However, I would love to see how he takes care of a baby. xD**

**Kuchiki Chyna and Kenji are © to Maya1121 (on deviantART); Kuchiki Byakuya is © to Kubo Tite's BLEACH; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #4: Rain**

"The love of a family is life's greatest blessing." – Unknown

Yep! It was the perfect day for an outing! And Kuchiki Chyna knew exactly what she wanted to do on this lovely day: a nice family outing.

She and her husband Byakuya planned – though it was more of Chyna's plan rather than Byakuya's – to take their year-old son Kenji to the beach. It served as a good opportunity for Chyna and Byakuya to escape from the stresses of work, a chance to relax, while little Kenji got some fresh air.

The couple packed up the car and their son in the back seat before taking the long, exhausting road to the resort. Chyna was rather impressed with their temporary lodgings. "Wow! This place looks amazing!"

It was a two-bedroom suite with a balcony view of the beach. The walls were painted a pastel yellow hue, decorated with light blue seashells. A pair of doors leading to a gorgeous, marble-floored bathroom was just a few steps away.

Like the majority of rooms at the resort, the living room also served as the bedroom with two beds sitting in front of a 60" screen television, surrounded by a luxurious pair of speakers and other shiny electronics.

However, Byakuya was looking for the nearest bed to sleep in. He dragged himself into the hotel room, carelessly throwing the suitcases in the nearest corner. "I'm going to sleep for a while. It would be best if you got some rest as well, Chyna."

His wife pouted, cuddling the gurgling infant in her arms. "Aw, don't be such a sourpuss, Byakuya. I'm totally awake and fine!"

But as soon as she sat down on the bed, she _and_ Kenji were asleep in a matter of minutes.

~ ღ ~

Chyna was in for a rather rude awakening when she awoke the next morning. She opened her golden eyes at the sound of the television and looked to see Byakuya watching the news.

He turned his head slightly, seeing her shift under the covers. "You're awake. I think you need to see this." He then pointed to the screen, turning up the volume, where the weatherman was currently talking.

"Our scanners have informed us of an upcoming hurricane that is currently hitting the beaches of Oikawa City. The beaches have been closed down for the day so I suggest tourists and citizens stay inside to protect from the heavy rains and winds."

Looking outside, Chyna could see and hear the rain pouring viciously. The sky was dark from the black-gray clouds covering the sun, making it look as if it were still nighttime.

As she sat back on the bed, Chyna pouted, upset. "Isn't this just great? And here I thought it was gonna be sunny throughout the week." She looked around the hotel room, scrunching her nose up. "I'm pretty sure there are fun things to do in here."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Don't be ridiculous. The only 'fun' thing we can do in here is watch TV. All of the resort activities are outside."

She chuckled at him. "No need to be negative," she chirped. "You just gotta look around and be open to do something new!"

Lightning flashed wildly and thunder crackled, waking up little Kenji from his sleep. The noise startled him so much that he began to wail and scream in terror. Chyna frowned and picked up the toddler.

Byakuya stood up and closed the curtains, although it didn't seem to stop his son from crying. "I guess it really startled him. Is there a way to make him stop?" He watched the little boy cling onto his mother, screaming even more.

"I'm not sure," Chyna told him. She rubbed his back gently and even bounced him lightly in her lap. She kissed his forehead, whispering sweet words and cooing into his ear.

Not even those worked. The couple grew more worried, knowing that someone would hear eventually and get angry.

After a few tries, Chyna was close to giving up on calming the child. "I'm running on empty. Have any suggestions, Byakuya?"

The black-haired male felt hesitant about answering. Despite it being a year passing since Kenji's birth, he was still new to being a father. Then a thought popped in his mind and he climbed off the bed.

Chyna watched as he reached into the bag that carried all of Kenji's things, he pulled out the baby's favorite rattle. He shook it loud enough and Kenji turned his head in the direction of the sound. His crying immediately stopped, replaced by a series of giggles.

Kenji reached out for the rattle and his smile widened as he shook it wildly, loving the sound it made. Chyna grinned happily. "Good thinking! I know what else we can do!"

She placed Kenji on the bed and jumped off, rummaging through the bag. She took out a small blue ball and bounced it on the floor a couple of times. It also got Kenji's attention and he dropped the rattle as he extended his hands to grab it.

Byakuya sat on the floor with Kenji in his lap. Chyna squealed inwardly at seeing this. _He looks a lot more relaxed now. That's good to know._

The infant watched as his mother rolled the ball the ball to him. Kenji giggled and began to jump around in his father's lap as the ball came to him. He caught it in his small, dark-skinned hands as he held it above his head, standing on his chubby legs.

"Roll it back to Mama, Kenji!"

Kenji looked back at Chyna, hearing the sound of her voice. He plopped back down and passed the ball back, clapping his hands with glee. He completely ignored the sounds of lightning and thunder outside, for he was having too much fun.

A small smile curled against Byakuya's lips, seeing both Kenji and Chyna's faces light up from a simple game. He had to admit that he was having fun just watching them feeling his heart soften at spending time with the two biggest joys in his life.

Perhaps this will turn out to be a good vacation after all…


	4. Prompt 5: Sword

**A/N: [Fifth Fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Urahara is awesome, hands down, as is Yoruichi. It's rare to see fanfics about them but I think they would be a cute couple! *love***

**Shihōin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke, and Tsukabishi Tessai are © to Kubo Tite's BLEACH; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #5: Sword**

"I hope that one day you will have the experience of doing something you do not understand for someone you love." – Jonathan Safran Foer

A loud explosion echoed throughout the area, creating a disturbance in the peaceful nighttime atmosphere. The powerful sound alone threw three shinigami back – Shihōin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke, and Tsukabishi Tessai – and they stumbled back, colliding with the ground.

Before them stood a group of shinigami, swords in hand. Judging from their spiritual pressure, they were members of Squads 1 and 2. The apparent leader stood in the front with his own sword in hand. He glared, took a step forward, and pointed his blade at Kisuke's head, startling him slightly.

"Ex-captain of Squad 12, Urahara Kisuke, you have committed the serious crime of experimental Hollowfication on your fellow comrades. For your actions, you must be dealt with immediately as ordered by Head Captain Yamamoto."

Yoruichi, still in her disguise, cursed under her breath. _Damn it… They're a lot quicker than I thought. And I thought we had hidden ourselves well._

Keeping his knees to the ground, Kisuke laughed lightly, attempting to make light of their current situation. "Anyone have any good suggestions? I know I'm all out of 'em at the moment."

Tessai shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. I don't have any options myself. We seem to be really stuck now."

"Hehe, you're right. We're screwed now."

"There's no time to be giving up," Yoruichi scolded the two. "I'll serve as a distraction while you two find a way to escape. That should buy you some time for now."

She dashed ahead of the two men, taking on the shinigami with weapons of her own. Her speed was hard for the men to keep up with but they kept their stance in hopes of catching their mysterious opponent. "Hurry, Kisuke, Tessai! Go now!"

"But…" Kisuke said worriedly. "What about—"

"Don't worry about me!" Yoruichi protested. "Just get going already!"

The two men decided to obey her command and attempted to escape. Kisuke grew worried for his friend. He shook the thought out of his head. _Get ahold of yourself, Kisuke. Yoruichi will be fine. She can handle herself—_

Suddenly, a loud slashing noise rang in Kisuke's ear. He looked behind him slowly, his eyes widening in shock to see the cat-woman fall. One of the shinigami had cut her with his blade, forcing her to her knees.

Kisuke watched in horror at seeing Yoruichi badly injured, remembering what had happened just one night before. To his lieutenant…

She winced, seeing Kisuke still standing, and tried to bring herself to her feet. But it was in vain and the pain forced her back down. "K-Kisuke… Go now…!"

Seeing Yoruichi was down for good, the other shinigami went in for the kill. "Die, you damn traitor!"

"Bakudō Number 39: Enkōsen!"

An enormous barrier of light surrounded Yoruichi, blocking her from the shinigami's lethal attacks. Her golden eyes widened as her jaw dropped in awe.

"Now, awaken…Benihime."

Two blasts of crimson-colored energy easily blew the shinigami and their swords away in the air. Kisuke and Tessai stood before her, prepared for battle against the angered shinigami.

"Are you two crazy?" Yoruichi scolded. "I thought I told you to get away. I said I would handle it!"

The blonde ex-captain looked down at her with a sad smile. Seeing her so obviously helpless, he couldn't help but remember his lieutenant again. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi," he replied, "I know fully well that you're a strong fighter, but I'm not going to let you do this alone." He lowered his head, feeling the guilt wash over him again. "I…I don't want to make that same mistake again."

Yoruichi gawked, hearing the seriousness in his voice. The incident with Aizen hurt him deeply, she could tell. "B-But…''

He held up his sword, Benihime, giving her a warm smile. "Let me protect you just like how you protected me. With this sword, I'll defend myself and you. Just have faith in me."

She could see the glint in his eyes and returned his grin. The fire had returned to his eyes.


	5. Prompt 7: Bamboo

**A/N: [Seventh Fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] It's been forever since I've seen this series. Both cute and super funny. There have been times when I've truly felt sorry for Ranma.  
**

**Saotome Ranma, Tendō Akane, Kunō Tatewaki are © to Takahashi Rumiko's Ranma 1/2; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #7: Bamboo**

"I want to be the girl he's scared to lose."' – Unknown

"Come on, Akane! I said I was sorry!"

Even as Saotome Ranma called out to his fiancé, while at the same time chasing after her, Tendō Akane just kept on walking.

It was the fifth time this week when she had gotten angry at him. Usually, Ranma would be oblivious to the reason but he knew now that he was the cause of it.

One day before Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, the holiday would occur during the weekend, the female students of Furinkan High School were exchanging their gifts and cards in advance.

This was the custom in Japan unlike in western nations – the girls would give their presents on Valentine's Day while the boys would give their presents on White Day, a month after the fourteenth of February.

With the help of her older sister Kasumi, Akane had secretly made some chocolates for Ranma to give on Valentine's Day. However, she didn't want any of the other boys to find out, so she kept them hidden in her briefcase.

She giggled to herself, hoping that Ranma would like her more from the taste of her chocolate. He had been in a sour mood lately so she hoped it would be of some help.

BAM!

Akane slammed into one of the other students and her briefcase plummeted down a flight of stairs and to the ground. Her contents spilled out in front of a few of her many "admirers," including Kunō Tatewaki, her biggest stalker.

The small box of chocolate hearts was revealed to the boys and Tatewaki was beside himself with joy.

"Oh, Tendō Akane!" he screamed out as he lunged toward her. "The love of my life, my darling rose, my pure angel! You have decided to give your chocolates to me, the one and only Blue Thunder of Furinkan High! I knew it all along that you had feelings for me—"

She smacked him straight in the face with her briefcase and quickly gathered her belongings. "Sorry but these aren't for you, Kunō-senpai." With that, she ran back up the stairs.

Tatewaki was rather shocked at Akane's quick response. Why wouldn't she make chocolates for him if they were so "in love" with each other? Then he thought and growled under his breath, "Saotome Ranma…"

~ ღ ~

Meanwhile, Ranma was taking his usual stroll from school, hoping to get home as quickly as he could.

A few days before, he and his father Genma had been training up in the mountains. He was trying to master a new technique – he couldn't even remember the name of it, it was too long – but kept failing miserably. The training was much more strenuous than the previous times and it left Ranma both tired and grumpy. And Genma had planned to resume the training as soon as possible.

He hadn't seen Akane the entire day of school and frankly, he wasn't in the mood to see anyone. All he wanted to do was go to sleep.

"Ranma!"

The boy grumbled under his breath but didn't to stop or even turn. Akane ran up to him and began walking by his side with a bright smile on her face. "What're you so happy about?" he asked.

Akane giggled. "Nothing much," she said. "I got a little something for you and I'm hoping it'll cheer you up." She held up the heart-shaped box to him, a light blush on her face.

"Saotome Ranma!" And there stood the last person Ranma had wanted to see.

Ranma glared at the knuckleheaded kendo master. "Whadd'ya want, Kunō? I ain't got time to deal with you."

Tatewaki didn't seem to notice Ranma's attitude. "You cad! How dare you bewitch my beloved Tendō Akane, forcing her to bestow her delicious sweets unto you? Face the divine wrath of the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, Kunō Tatewaki!"

He charged at Ranma with his wooden sword in hand but Ranma easily jumped on and over his head, running in the opposite direction. "Catch me if you can, moron!"

"Fiend! You will not escape me!" Bent on destroying him, the crazed Kunō bounded behind him. Akane merely watched before following behind them as well.

"Ranma! Wait up!"

~ ღ ~

Ranma had ended up running in random directions, not even realizing he was now out of the city of Nerima. However, instead of losing him, Tatewaki was hot on his trail.

Jealousy had a way of pushing a man to his limits, especially for someone like Kunō Tatewaki.

_Tch. Jeez, when does this idiot give up?_ A bamboo forest appeared before him and Ranma had an idea. _Heh… Maybe I'll try this out…_

He dashed into the bamboo forest, hearing Tatewaki's footsteps behind him. He could also hear him growl in annoyance.

"Saotome Ranma! You think you can be rid of me so easily?"

Tatewaki swung his wooden sword again as Ranma turned to face him, jumping and flipping backwards to elude his attacks. Even with Ranma's speed, he began to feel more and more of the effects of his strenuous training. He grew angrier as he felt himself becoming more overpowered by them.

With one swing, Ranma was now down on the ground, flat on his back. He could feel the pain and fatigue permeating through his body. "Damn it…" he cursed under his breath. "I can't get up."

Seeing Ranma down for the count elated Tatewaki but he put on his "serious" face as he stood before him. He snickered as he placed his sword over his shoulder.

"Hmph. A vagabond like you should not have underestimated me—"

One whack from Akane's briefcase sent Tatewaki flying as it usually did, though most times she would use her foot. The blue-haired girl huffed as she went over to Ranma. "Are you okay?"

He sat up on his own and abruptly tore his gaze away. "Hmph! I'm fine. 'S not like I asked for your help anyway."

Akane glared at him. "Well, excuse me! You could've at least _thanked_ me, you ungrateful jerk!"

"I don't need some _girl_ to come save me anyway!" Ranma retorted. "I can take care of myself—"

"I was really worried about you, you idiot! Can't you at least be a little happy about that or am I really that annoying?" Ranma was quiet but Akane stood back up. "Fine. If you don't need me, then I'll leave you alone."

She began to storm off but Ranma quickly stood to his feet, running after her. "Wait up, Akane! I'm sorry!"

And back to the beginning…

The two ended up getting lost in the huge bamboo forest and nighttime came rather quickly, covering the forest with a dimly lit moonlight sky. Akane fell to her knees, exhausted. "I can't believe I'm lost…"

Ranma landed next to her. "I don't think we should separate. We should wait here until morning. It can get dangerous in forests like these."

Akane made a sad sniff, looking down at her hands. "Ranma… Do you hate me?

He blinked, a light blush covering his cheeks. "Why would you ask something like that, Akane—?"

"Just answer me," she cut him off, trying her best to hold back some tears. "Am I really that annoying to you, Ranma? Do you really not want me around?"

The boy stared at her. Despite their constant bickering and even with the times they would insult or laugh at each other, he didn't _hate_ Akane. Trying to figure out what he really felt made him even more confused. "No, Akane. I don't hate you."

Her heart skipped a beat and she looked in his direction. She could see the sleepy look in his eyes and stifled a laugh. _Must have been all that running and fighting with Kun-senpai,_ she thought.

Reaching out her hands, Akane took Ranma and laid him gently in her lap. The boy managed to fall asleep as soon as his head made contact. Akane smiled, running her hand through his thick, black, braided hair.

_I guess I can forget about those chocolates for now. This feels a lot nicer~_


	6. Prompt 8: Moon

******A/N: [Eighth fanfic of the ****Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge**] A fanfic dedicated to my little sister since she's a huge fan of Deidara. I'll probably, like, never write another Deidara fanfic again...unless someone commissions me for it. |D  


**Kamikuri Yuri is © to my little sister; Iwagakure no Deidara © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~**

* * *

**Prompt #8: Moon**

"You are like nobody since I love you." – Pablo Neruda

"Waaaaaah~ So pretty!"

Kamikuri Yuri stared up at the clear night sky with awe. She had expected it to rain that day but she was more than happy that her guess was wrong.

The moon looked absolutely lovely that night, shining like a new pearl as it hung in the air.

Yuri just loved looking at the moon since it brought so much peace in her heart. She had always wondered, especially as a child, what it would be like to walk or even live on the moon. It was a secret dream but she cherished it much more than anything in the world.

"So this is what you're doing instead of Sasori-no-danna's dirty work, hm."

Deidara took a seat beside her as Yuri pouted. "Hey, I'm on break. Don't get naggy when I'm trying to relax. Subordinates have lives, too."

She heard the blonde Akatsuki member laugh. "Yeah, okay. I won't tell him, hm. So what _are_ you doing?"

"Just looking at the moon," Yuri said with a shrug. "It's been a while since I've done it so I'm glad I had the chance tonight." She sighed dreamily, putting her head in her hands. "It looks so pretty tonight."

"Hm, I have to disagree," Deidara muttered, "I don't really think the theory of art being 'eternal' fits with my theory of art. Art is supposed to be fleeting, not everlasting."

He saw the girl raise an eyebrow. "Oh, that again." Whenever she was with Deidara and Sasori, Yuri would have to hear them argue relentlessly about their theories or "true art."

It did annoy her that they would always bicker about such a trivial topic but she grew not to mind it all that much anymore. She did admire Deidara's stubbornness about his idea.

She loved everything about him.

"So," Deidara interrupted her girlish fantasy, "who do you think is right about their theory of art? Me or Sasori-no-danna?"

Yuri blushed lightly and turned away to hide her face. "I-I'm not telling you! Why do you have to ask me that, Deidara-senpai?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on. I'm sure you agree with one of us, hm." Seeing the blush on her face, he smirked. "Maybe you like my idea, hm? 'Cause you fell in love me?"

Her blush grew more intense. "Idiot. Don't be so full of yourself." She could hear him laugh again and she hid her face with her hands.

"Ah, it's okay. You can just tell me when you're ready, hm. However, I can get pretty impatient so make sure to hurry up, Yuri-chan."

Yuri looked up slowly. "What the heck are you—" Deidara surprised her with a quick kiss to the lips; he retracted, stifling a possible howl of laughter at seeing her current expression.

"Surprised ya, hm?"

She frowned at him, embarrassed, huffing. "You really are so full of yourself, Deidara-senpai." It made her happy, though. Happier than anything in the world.

It was quiet between the two and Yuri had the chance to look back at the moon to admire its beauty. She smiled as she remembered that sweet childhood dream she still had.

Until Deidara piped up with: "Hey, how about we light up the night sky with some fireworks? I'm sure it'd draw your attention off the moon for a while, hm."

"Disturb the peace and I'll kick your ass."


	7. Prompt 9: Shooting Star

**A/N: [Ninth fanfic of the ****Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge**] *squee* I love _The Princess and the Frog_! It was such a cute and inspirational movie. I could imagine something like this happening sometime later in Tiana and Naveen's married life. That would be so adorable~!

**Tiana and Naveen are © to Disney's _The Princess and the Frog_; Story is © to moi~ 3**

* * *

**Prompt #9: Shooting Star**

"Last night, I matched each star with a reason for loving you. I was doing great until I ran out of stars." – Anonymous

It had been a long, hard day at the restaurant. Tiana's Place was completely packed for the special Valentine's Day event. Customers from all across the United States and even some parts of the world – including Maldonia – had flocked to Louisiana to celebrate.

Now that the restaurant was closed, Tiana and her husband Naveen were lying on the roof and staring up at the stars. They shone like diamonds in the pitch-black sky, bringing up so much light to the nighttime.

"Those together look like Cygnus, the swan!" Tiana gleamed.

Naveen squinted his eyes and tilted his head. "Really? I don't see anything but stars."

Tiana rolled her eyes and pointed up towards the constellation. "If you connect the dots," she said, "you can tell it looks like a swan."

"Eh…still don't see it."

"You're so hopeless. My daddy knew of all the constellations so he could spot them easily."

Her husband chuckled. "He was more knowledgeable than I am. I'm no good at this kind of stuff."

They were quiet for a while and Tiana's face immediately lit up. "Oh, Naveen, look! It's the Evening Star!" She pointed thrice at the brightly sparkling star, laughing to herself. "It looks so beautiful…"

"I heard it was called Venus," Naveen said. "Did you know that?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. What does 'Venus' mean?"

He looked back at the stars as his smile grew wider. "I learned as a child that Venus is the goddess of love and beauty." The prince shot her a look, seeing her blush.

Raising an eyebrow, Tiana stood up. "What are you getting at?"

Naveen also stood, his arms now wrapped around her waist as he hugged her tightly. "Well… Maybe you're my Venus, my evening star."

Tiana hid her face, feeling flustered. He was always such a smooth talker but it made her happy that he felt this way only about her.

His eyes looked up once more, seeing a shooting star dash across the sky. Naveen grinned. "Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"The shooting star in the sky," he said, pointing. Tiana managed to spot it before it disappeared. "I made a wish when I saw it."

"Oh?" Tiana smirked. "What was that?"

Again, he chuckled before pressing his lips to her. "That you'd stay by my side," he replied, "forever as my Venus~"


	8. Prompt 10: Rice

******A/N: [Tenth fanfic of the ****Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge**] OMG, you guys have no idea how much I love this manga! And the anime made things ten times better!  


**Koizumi Risa and Ōtani Atsushi © to Nakahara Aya's ****Lovely Complex**; Story is © to moi~

* * *

**Prompt #10: Rice**

"Love is being stupid together." – Unknown

Koizumi Risa gulped, clutching her purse tighter against her waist. It was the second time she had ever been to Atsushi's house.

Even in their first few months of dating, their post-high school lives had been filled with entrance exams, summer classes, and work, not much time to spend with each other. But now that Atsushi was off, Risa was hopeful they could spend time together at his house. She had bought a game system with money saved from her part-time along with a plethora of her favorite games.

Gulping once more, she rang the doorbell twice. "Hello! It's me, Koizumi." She waited for a while but about five minutes passed before she got impatient. "The hell is he doing?" she muttered angrily. "Jeez, don't tell me he went out!"

She rang the doorbell a third time, tapping her foot as she waited, but there was still no answer. It was strange. He said that he would be home all day while his parents and sister were out.

For the fourth time, she rang the doorbell and called out, "Ōtani, it's me, Koizumi! You there?"

…

…

Silence once more.

Risa growled and started pressing the doorbell like madwoman. "Ōtani, you ass! Open up the damn door already!"

The intercom buzzed and she could hear the sound of a dog barking, followed by a groggy sounding Atsushi. "Who the hell is this? Do you know what time it is?"

"It's your girlfriend, idiot!" Risa yelled back. "And why are you asking about the time? It's frickin' noon!"

"Oh…"

"Whadd'ya mean 'oh', Ōtani? Just what were you doing when I came by?"

Hearing the sound of footsteps, along with some incoherent mumbling, Atsushi lazily opened the door. "I was sleeping, idiot," he answered groggily, as he scratched his burnt-orange hair.

He was still in his pajamas and looked like a mess, as if a giant twister had gone through him. Plus, he had a _horrid_ case of morning breath that could be smelled from a mile away.

Risa made a face, resisting the urge to back away from him or cover her nose, but her expression looked more amused than revolted. It managed to bug her boyfriend and he glared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, right. You're making a face."

"Forget about me already! Just go upstairs and get dressed!"

~ ღ ~

The majority of the afternoon was spent playing game after game. Risa and Atsushi did argue once or twice about which game to play, though, but they had fun for the rest of the time.

There were some occasions when Risa would steal glances at her short boyfriend. He really did look adorable with such a happy face on him, a lot better than angry, sad, and especially stressed…since that was what he was feeling during his entrance exams.

She was happy that she could provide some sort of relief for him.

"Oh," Atsushi brought up, "I made some onigiri for us whenever we'd get hungry. Do you want any, Koizumi?"

Risa nodded, her reddish-orange hair tousling. "Yeah! Thanks a lot! I'm starving~"

He traveled back into the kitchen and brought out a plate of onigiri. At least…that was what it was supposed to be. Atsushi saw Risa snickering and growled out, "Hey! Don't laugh at me! I tried, okay?"

"Fine, whatever, midget," she laughed. "They still look bad, though! Like lumps of clay!"

Atsushi's face turned red from embarrassment and grabbed one, shoving the lump of rice and seaweed into Risa's wide-open mouth. "There! Now, that'll shut you up, stupid Amazon!"

The girl munched quietly on the onigiri before she grinned, her mouth still full. "Not bad, Ōtani! You made a nice one there!"

Her boyfriend shot her a cheesy grin, the long Tengu nose protruding from his head. "See? I knew they'd turn out great!"

She let out a laugh and he watched her with a warm smile on his face. Then he saw a grain of rice hanging on the side of her cheek. He remembered their first "kiss" happening the same way a few years back. This time, he wouldn't mess up.

Slowly, Atsushi took hold of her face with both hands and pressed his lips against her cheek, licking off the rice grain. Risa stared in slight awe but didn't get a word in when he then kissed her lips.

He then retracted and turned away, hiding the growing blush on his cheeks. "Thank you, Koizumi… I love you so don't forget that."


	9. Prompt 11: Wind Chimes

**A/N: [Eleventh fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Whew! It's been a while since I've written something with Sasori and with a female. Hope the fangirls don't mind the tsundere-ish personality I gave him. Please don't kill me. ; w ;**

**Nicole is © to my RL friend; Akasuna no Sasori is © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~**

* * *

**Prompt #11: Wind Chimes**

"Love's gift cannot be given. It waits to be accepted."' – Tagore

It was a beautiful day outside - warm, temperate weather, bright blue sky, puffy, white clouds floating lazily. There was also light winds that accompanied the nice weather.

Nicole had bought herself a new set of wind chimes at a local novelty store. She loved the sweet, bell-like sounds that echoed from the wind chimes and she would take them whenever she went somewhere.

She brought the chimes home that day, she went first to her master Sasori's room. She burst through the doors while he was working on one of his many projects. Sasori growled in annoyance, "I told you to knock, Nicole."

"Sorry," Nicole chuckled as she held up the wind chimes, "but I wanted to show you these new wind chimes I bought. They make the prettiest sounds!" Shaking them slightly, the chimes rang loudly and their sound echoed through the room.

Sasori frowned. "Take that toy of yours outside. I don't want to hear it when I'm working." However, his subordinate didn't hear him and looked for the nearest window.

"Ah! Here's a good spot!" The brunette hung the wind chimes up just outside Sasori's window and smiled as the wind blew against them jeweled pieces of glass.

The chimes made light clinging noises and echoed once more. Nicole clapped her hands like a child as she relished the sounds, but her master was not too pleased. He stood up from his chair and stormed over to the window. His hand extended and he crushed his fingers against the glass.

Nicole stopped clapping as her smile turned to a look of horror. "No! Sasori-sama, don't!" But she was too late. Her precious treasure was destroyed.

He threw the useless shards of glass to the floor before her. "I told you to take that worthless piece of garbage outside. Now you face the consequences of disobeying. Go do something productive."

Her eyes filled with tears as she picked up the shards and Sasori rolled his eyes, going back to his work. Nicole rushed out as she held her face in her hands, slamming the door behind her.

_Ridiculous,_ Sasori told himself. _She always cries over the dumbest things. She needs to grow up if she expects to be useful to me._

The sound of Nicole crying came to his ears and Sasori tried his best to ignore it. It always annoyed him when she cried since he was so used to that silly, cheerful smile on her face. He grumbled under his breath as he felt his body moving on its own.

He looked down at the broken shards of the wind chimes, picking them up with ease. "I can't believe I'm going to fix this thing," he muttered under his breath.

_At least it would make her stop crying._


	10. Prompt 12: Glass

**A/N: [Twelfth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] LOL, another cute Sasori fic~ Again, I hope you Sasori fangirls will forgive me for making him a little OOC. *cries in a corner***

**Nicole is © to my RL friend; Akasuna no Sasori is © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~**

* * *

**Prompt #12: Glass**

**Part 1**

"But when two people are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or of bronze." – I Ching

Sasori was reconstructing his puppets, enjoying the solitude in his room. He had just created a new, more lethal poison along with some stronger, sharper blades for battle. His confidence began to rise at the possible advantages he could have with these new weapons.

Suddenly, the door burst open and one of his subordinates Nicole rushed into the room. It didn't surprise or startle Sasori, unlike most of the Akatsuki members, since was used to her hyperactive behavior. He kept his cold brown eyes on his puppets as he said, irritated, "How many times have I told you to knock?"

The brown-haired girl giggled as she wrapped her arms tightly around her master. "Sorry, Sasori-sama! I just wanted to ask something and I'm really excited about it~!" she chirped.

He rolled his eyes. He was no stranger to her "telling him" things. It did annoy him for about a year but he got used to it. "What is it now?" Sasori asked boredly.

Nicole clapped her hands and grinned happily. "Guess what tomorrow is?"

"February 14th," her master replied simply. "What about it?"

"Besides that!" Nicole whined with a pout. "It's a holiday, Sasori-sama!"

A blank stare remained on Sasori's face. "You should know that I don't pay attention to useless things like that. Why should I know about what happens on February 14th?"

Shaking her head, Nicole rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, silly! It's a really romantic holiday where people give flowers and chocolates to each other! And they tell each other how much they love them! Didn't you celebrate it back in the Sand Village?"

The red-haired man vaguely remembered his past in the Sand Village. Most of his days there were lonely so there was no "Valentine's Day" for him since his parents were out on missions. After he left, he thought it best to forget about everything, including special events and holidays. "Ridiculous. I doubt that I ever celebrated such a thing," he told her. "And I don't plan to."

"Huh? But Sasori-sama—!"

"This ends our discussion, Nicole," Sasori said coldly. "I don't have time to waste on your silly fantasies." He ushered the girl out the door and closed it behind her.

Pouting, Nicole knocked on the door as she called out, "Aw, come on, Sasori-sama! Please open the door!"

"Leave, Nicole. I'm busy right now."

She pressed her face against the door as she listened to the clacking and banging of his puppet wood against his creations. Her heart sank slightly at how he pushed her away slightly. Usually, he would talk with her about almost anything.

Maybe Valentine's Day was a rather touchy subject for him? She did know about his sad childhood in the Sand Village so perhaps he never had the chance to convey his feelings to his late parents.

_Poor Sasori-sama. He probably still regrets all that's happened in the past. I bet he's still really lonely since no one gave him a Valentine._

Nicole looked towards the ground at her feet. Then an idea came to her mind. She grinned her brightest. "I know exactly what to give him!"

While Nicole was out, Sasori continued the work on his puppets. However, he was constantly disturbed by his brunette subordinate's words.

She was rather excited about such a simple and trivial holiday but she was excited about almost anything. But there was something about this particular enthusiasm that struck him.

"Didn't you celebrate it back in the Sand Village?"

He chuckled lightly. "That's right, I never did celebrate such a holiday back at home."

Sasori looked down at the puppet body he was holding. It was hollow and empty, just like him but he knew that he had something the puppet lacked.

_A heart._

Despite getting rid of all his other body parts, Sasori could still hear his heart beating calmly inside his chest. It was vital for his survival so it definitely served its purpose.

Sasori hailed himself in making his body into a puppet, though he couldn't deny that recently he would feel an aching his heart. He thought with this new body, he would no longer feel pain but it was recurring whenever Nicole wasn't around him.

That bright, happy smile on her face would make that pain go away. In his opinion, he couldn't understand that he was growing more attached to Nicole. And it frustrated him greatly.

His brown eyes caught attention to some leftover glass that laid on his work desk. An idea came to mind. He had some time.

~ ღ ~

**Part 2**

"The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart." – Josiah G. Holland

Nicole returned to the hideout at around midnight, hopeful that her master would be in "acceptable" spirits. "I'm back, Sasori-sama!" she called sweetly as she knocked on the door. "And I've got a nice present for you!"

There was no answer and Nicole tilted her head. Was he still upset about earlier? She was close to knocking once more, opening her mouth to call him again, but she felt Sasori lightly whack her upside the head.

"Don't start making noises so late at night," he scolded. "The others are asleep right now, like you should be."

She giggled and turned around. "Oh! There you are, Sasori-sama! I've got a nice present for you for Valentine's Day!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Did you remember anything from our talk earlier? I said that I don't celebrate it."

"I know!" Nicole whined, "I wanted to get you something anyway! Here, take it!"

With a sigh, Sasori took the small box in his hands and opened it. There was a tray of heart-shaped chocolate truffles inside. His frown deepened. "Nicole, did it ever occur to you that I don't eat?"

She blinked. "Huh? You don't."

"Of course not. That should be obvious. I'm a puppet and puppets don't eat food."

The brunette blinked twice and then giggled, hitting herself in the head and sticking her tongue out. "Oops, I forgot. But…what should I—"

"Eat it if you want. I don't care what you do with them."

Her smile brightened and she squealed. "Yay! More for me~!" She began stuffing her face with the chocolate until Sasori threw her a small box of his own.

"Take it."

"But—"

"Just take it."

He walked back into his room and shut the door. Nicole stared as she looked down at the box in her hands. She opened it and her brown eyes widened; she was left speechless. Inside was a perfectly sculpted glass heart.

Nicole giggled at the gift, holding it gently and carefully. She looked behind her, at the closed door, and smiled. _Don't worry, Sasori-sama. I promise not to break it._


	11. Prompt 13: Faraway

**A/N: [Thirteenth fanfic of the ****Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge**] The Hidan and Kakuzu Arc was my favorite out of the Shippuuden series, though I cried so hard when Asuma died. Though I'm sure Kurenai cried a lot harder than I did. It's so hard to lose a loved one. ; A ;

**Sarutobi Asuma and Y****ū**hi Kurenai are © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~

* * *

**Prompt #13: Faraway**

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, not touched. But are felt in the heart." – Helen Keller

She looked up silently, her eyes slightly widened. "So Hokage-sama already gave everyone the orders? You're going out so quickly. Didn't you just finish a mission?"

Her husband let out a light chuckle, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took in a long, exasperated drag before he exhaled, the smoke drifting upwards and blowing away in the wind. "It can't be helped."

She looked down at her feet. This just wasn't fair. Why did he have to leave on so many missions? Why did he have to be away so much?

But he was right. It couldn't be helped. Every able-bodied man needed to be on the frontlines, prepared for any attack. For the safety of Konoha and its citizens.

She scolded herself for being selfish but still…

"I promise, Kurenai," he told her with a smile. "I'll be back before you know it."

Crimson eyes met with earthy-brown and her plump lips curled into a small smile. "I know. Be safe, okay?"

He planted a tender kiss on her lips before walking out the door. She watched him go, her smile dwindling as the distance between them grew.

_Even now, as you go, you're so faraway from my reach…_

~ ღ ~

Early one morning, a dim, gloomy morning, she visited his grave. In her hands, she held a small bouquet and set them down in front of the headstone.

Her eyes had dark circles, devoid of any life or light. She had just received the news about his death. There was no way she would completely recover from this. He was her everything…

And now he was gone, never to return to her side. Without him, her nights were cold and lonely, also devoid of any life or light.

She stood up, her blood-shot eyes refusing to tear their gaze at the headstone. Her heart ached as her memories of him flooded her mind. The tears fell like waterfalls, pooling beneath her feet.

"It can't be helped. You will always be so faraway from me… Forever… So faraway…"


	12. Prompt 14: Butterfly

**A/N: [Fourteenth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] First ever fanfic of my own Canon x OC pairing: Kurama x Lexi. Hopefully, I can write something a little longer for them in the future! *squeals* w**

**Minamino Sh****ūichi/Kurama** is © to Togashi Yoshihiro's YuYu Hakusho; Alexa "Lexi" Maradona and Story are © to moi~

* * *

**Prompt #14: Butterfly**

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." – Unknown

Courage. That was all Lexi needed to talk to him. She gulped the lump down in her throat as she strolled over to him.

_Just be calm,_ she'd tell herself. _It shouldn't be that hard, Lexi! I mean, everyone else can talk to him!_

The tan-skinned girl looked down and clenched a fist determinedly. She felt the self-confidence enter her once more…until she bumped her nose into his back.

"Ow…"

He was startled but smiled as he usually did. Shichi, also known as Kurama by those closer to him, was always amused with her clumsiness. It was a guilty pleasure of his.

Kurama believed she was like a chrysalis, still shut up in her shell. She was still timid around her, not that he minded teasing her once in a while, but he was excited about seeing her develop. He wanted to see her blossom into a butterfly.

Letting out a laugh, the redhead greeted her. "Hello, Alexa." He stifled another laugh when he saw her blush brightly.

"H-Hi!" she peeped, attempting to save face from that embarrassing bump, "D-Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." Kurama turned his attention to her, which made her more nervous.

Again, she gulped. It was the first step she had to take. Lexi looked down at her feet as she felt the blush grow on her face. "I-I was wondering, Shichi-kun… Are you free some time?"

Kurama tilted his head. He knew what she was asking; it wasn't any different from what he had been asked by other girls but he was too much of a gentleman to tell her that.

He quietly listened as she fumbled with her words, as that coy, clever smile of his grew wider. "Yes?" he inquired, encouraging her to go on.

Lexi lifted her head, feeling a sliver of hope in this moment. "I was wondering if we could…hang out some time…if you're not too busy and all. I wouldn't want to take up any of your time—"

Silence sliced itself between the two of them. Kurama then chuckled. "I would love to."

Her heart stopped and she stared into his lovely emerald eyes. "W-Wait… Y-You really want to…?"

Kurama nodded. "I wouldn't mind. It would be a nice way to get to know each other. Would Sunday be a good day?"

She nodded, dumbfounded, as if time had stopped. He bid her adieu and his back turned slowly as he calmly sauntered down the hallway.

It would be a matter of time before she would break away from her cocoon and sprout her wings.


	13. Prompt 15: Wings

**A/N: [Fifteenth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] So many feels in this fic. ; A ; I don't know why but I always find myself writing something angsty once in a while. I try to give them happy endings...unless they just don't work in my head. xD I also hope you'll forgive my limited knowledge in _Supernatural_...**

**Ivy McKie is © to Hieislittlekitsune (on deviantART); Sam Winchester is © to Eric Kripke's _Supernatural_; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #15: Wings**

**Part 1**

"I fear no man yet I shun my own reflection. For I have become the grim reaper of eternal love, d destroyer of worldly dreams. The creator of an all consuming darkness, I fear no man and feed on those who fail to fear me." – Unknown

**It's the disease of the age**

**It's the disease that we crave**

**Alone at the end of the rave**

**We catch the last bus home**

Ivy McKie always had the feeling she wasn't human. It was strange but true. There were no words to describe such bloodlust and primal instincts. No one could give her the answers she wanted so she gave up after a while.

She then came to the conclusion that she was a beast, some sort of demon. A deeply rooted hatred for the human race boiled in her blood. Her lust for killing increased steadily. It worried her. She didn't want to get too close.

Her boyfriend Sam Winchester was also worried about Ivy's "unusual" sense of identity. She had asked him from time to time about what she was becoming. He couldn't give her any answers...at least he couldn't give answers that would suffice. It stunned him and stumped him as well.

**Corporate America wakes**

**Coffee republic and cakes**

**We open the latch on the gate**

**Of the hole that we call our home**

Every day, she would aimlessly walk the streets in search of that identity. What was her purpose? Why was she born a beast? Did she really hate the human race or was that what she wanted to think?

She had lived with them for the past seventeen years of her life. Humans were the only creatures she knew about, the only ones she could associate with.

But what would happen if she snapped? What if she ended up killing one of these humans? Would they forgive her? Of course not, she would be considered just another criminal like all the others. She didn't want that.

She wanted to know the truth.

"Hey," she asked Sam one evening. She placed a hand on his and looked at him with sad but serious blue eyes.

He returned her gaze, knowing what she was saying. "They're happening again?"

Ivy nodded. "They're growing a lot faster now, especially at night. I almost killed a boy in the park." She placed a hand over her face in shame as she sighed. "It's driving me crazy. I frickin' hate this..."

Sam's frown grew deeper. "I know," he said. "Just hang in there. We'll figure it out." He stood up from the couch and left the apartment. He had planned to do some research on this possible "sickness" as he called it.

There had to be a cause to it as well as a cure.

As she waited for Sam's return, Ivy grew worse. She shook frantically and screamed out, even though no one heard her. The pain seared like a flash of lightning against and inside her body, driving her insane.

She could see the claws extending from her fingernails and felt the fangs protrude from her teeth. Her bloodlust grew more and more as she lost herself in crazed thoughts.

**Protect me from what I want...**

**Protect me protect me**

~ ღ ~

**Part 2**

"If I am destined to die, I want you to be the one who frees me." - Unknown

**Maybe we're victims of fate**

**Remember when we'd celebrate**

**We'd drink and get high until late**

**And now we're all alone**

Sam returned home, empty-handed. He had looked through hundreds of books, hundreds of thousands of notes for possible solutions, but not one of them gave him the answer he was looking for. He told himself that he would rest a while before searching once more but he was in for a surprise when he came back to the apartment.

He saw Ivy screaming in pain, covered in fresh blood. She trembled and shook, clawing at her body in crazed anger. The apartment was a total mess - furniture was turned over and torn to pieces, pictures and papers were strewn everywhere, even the TV had been broken and the glass shards covered the ground.

"Ivy! Hold on! I'm coming!" Sam rushed to her side but she pushed him away. She knew what would happen if he got too close.

It was too late to turn back. The symptoms were too great and were straining her body tremendously. Ivy let out another scream as she felt more cuts rip and tear her apart.

**Wedding bells ain't gonna chime**

**With both of us guilty of crime**

**And both of us sentenced to time**

**And now we're all alone**

All the girl could see was a dark, empty void with no way of escape. It drove her mad; she wanted this to stop. The pain was too much for her. She couldn't take it much longer.

Ivy heard Sam's voice but her fear made her push him away. She would kill him if he tried to help. There was nothing he could do for her. Nothing else.

She was all alone in this strange and frightening hell. No matter how much she crawled out, she was pulled back in. This strange inner demon would hold onto her, both body and mind. It would keep her down and strip her of her insanity.

**Protect me from what I want...**

**Protect me protect me**

**Protect me from what I want...**

**Protect me protect me**

It seared through her body and both Ivy and Sam heard a sickening ripping noise. Ivy froze as she felt her back tear open. A pair of wings burst from her back, covered in blood.

Droplets fell from the wings and soiled the carpet. Ivy shook and trembled, confused and in a daze. Sam gently touched her shoulder to test if she would retract. She didn't this time.

Her blue eyes filled with tears as she looked at Sam. She grabbed his shirt, her fingernails digging into his chest and further into his skin. "What...am I?" she whispered to him. "What am I, Sam?"

The pain was now gone but she wasn't relieved. It didn't satisfy her completely. These wings, these cuts, this blood... What did it all mean?

"I don't know," Sam finally answered, "but I don't think you need to worry. I don't sense any strange demons in here. I think we should be safe for now."

"No," Ivy disagreed. She looked back at the wings on her back, her teeth gritted. "It's these wings. The demons are in these wings." She reached out and grabbed one, in an attempt to rip it off.

The demon was still attached, she thought. If she could get rid of it completely, she would be free. She would be free of all the pain and suffering...! The girl let out a light wince of pain, followed by a series of screams. The wing wouldn't rip, no matter how hard she pulled and tugged.

It held on with all the strength it had, only angering her more.

"Damn it! Leave me the hell alone, you damn demon!" she yelled. "Get off me! You don't belong here! You're ugly and disgusting!"

Sam grabbed her arm and her eyes immediately turned to him. He shook his head. "Leave them be," he told her.

She was shocked. "Why...?" inquired the brunette, "They've caused me so much pain... They're ugly...and-"

He shook his head once more, pointing to her cuts. Ivy looked down; her cuts were healing themselves. The wings glowed and pulsed as they grew in size. Steadily, they grew warm against her body. They embraced her gently, like a mother hugging her child.

Ivy's tears fell down her cheeks. She saw Sam smile slightly as he hugged her close. "You're okay now. Don't worry."

"But..." she sniffed. "My wings..."

"Are beautiful," he answered. "They're very beautiful."

**Protect me from what I want...**

**Protect me protect me**

**Protect me from what I want...**

**Protect me protect me**


	14. Prompt 17: Snow

**A/N: [Seventeenth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] I have little to no knowledge of 07 Ghost as well so I hope you fans can forgive me if I made Frau OOC... *cries* It was still a cute plot that I came up with. I could imagine something like this happening. x3  
**

**Aria is © to Sapphire-X-Dreams (on deviantART); Frau is © to Amemiya Yuki and Ichihara Yukino's 07 Ghost; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #17: Snow**

"For hearing my thoughts, understanding my dreams and being my best friend... For filling my life with joy and loving me without end... I do." – Unknown

Frau's feet crunched in the snow, leaving behind footprints, as he headed back to the Barsburg Church. He was carrying several bags of groceries since the food supply was low.

t was getting late so he hurried as quickly as he could to the church. He knew how much the elder nuns would nag if he was late. He took a snowy path near a lake; it would provide him a quicker way to return to the church.

As Frau was running, something caught his eye. The blonde priest stopped when he noticed a purple-haired girl sitting by the lake, lying against the railings. She looked almost dead. Her face was pale and gaunt, as if she hadn't eaten for weeks.

"Hey," Frau called to her. "It's dangerous to sleep out here. You'll freeze to death." The girl didn't answer. He raised an eyebrow and rushed over there, feeling slightly worried. He could see her blanched face and quickly shook her. "Hey! Wake up!"

Finally, the girl opened her eyes. "Huh...?" She blinked as she looked around. "Where am I?"

"By the lake," said Frau. "Are you okay? You shouldn't be out here this late and in this weather! You'll be a popsicle by morning."

"I'm fine," the girl told him as she held her head. "I should go now-" She got up and began to walk but her body was too weak and she ended up falling on her face.

Frau frowned as he helped her up. "Jeez... You're a klutz, aren't you?" He reached down to pick up the grocery bags, noticing her hungry eyes watching the food. "Uh..." He pulled out a ripe peach and handed it to her, "Here. I assume you haven't eaten anything-"

The girl grabbed the peach and scarfed it down without hesitation. Frau watched her in slight shock, his jaw dropping. She blushed a bit when she finished. "Thank you for the food."

He chuckled. "Nah, don't worry about it. Do you have a home? Where are you parents?"

She shook her head. "I don't have anywhere to go, nor do I know about my parents..." The girl let out a light squeak when Frau placed her on his back.

"I'll carry you back to the church. You can stay there."

"No, sir! It's a kind offer but-"

"Eh, it's fine." Frau held her and the grocery bags tightly as he traveled back to the church. He gave her a grin, "By the way, what's your name? I didn't get it."

Again, she blushed. "It's Aria."

Once inside the church, Frau got a scolding from the elder nuns while the younger nuns took Aria. They gave her clothing and a bath, tending to her injuries before putting her to bed. But Aria didn't sleep for very long; she wanted to show her gratitude.

As soon as she got up, she hurried to one of the nuns as she bowed her head. "I want to show my gratitude. Please allow me to clean up around the church as a way to show you that I'm grateful." She didn't give much time for the nuns to answer, though, as she dashed off to the front of the church.

She hurried over to the outside windows and began washing them with a bucket of soapy water next to her. The snow continued to fall and Aria frowned deeply. "Man, I hate all this snow. I can barely see outside."

Frau had heard of her going outside and smirked when he saw her cleaning. "You think you'll be okay working? I mean, you just ate and were just patched up. Maybe you should rest."

Aria shook her head. "I'll be okay. I'm in good health."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. You'll catch a cold in this blizzard. Come on. Let's go inside." He led her inside the library and the girl giggled, skipping behind him. Her heart swelled at thought of his concern for her health.

The two became rather close in the past couple of years. Aria enjoyed her new life in the church as well as Frau's company whenever he had the time to hang out with her.

She loved telling him everything about her - her dreams and aspirations, how she wanted to find her place in the world. However, Frau never told her about himself. It drew her closer to him and made her more curious to know about him. Those feelings grew stronger as she talked with him more.

One morning, Aria was talking with Frau about one of the dreams she had. He listened quietly, his head propped up against his hand as he watched her intently.

"I would love to go to the moon one day," she said. "I've always wanted to see what it was like to be on the moon." Her eyes lit up with hope as her hands moved around, animated and cheerful.

Frau chuckled. "That's a pretty big dream you got."

She blushed, looking down. "It is but I know it'll never happen. It was just something I like to think about from time to time." Then she felt the priest pat her on the head as he grinned at her.

"I don't think so," he said. "When it does happen and you're ready, I'll be sure to be right there with you."

Aria was shocked by his words but nonetheless happy to hear them. She smiled excitedly and nodded, feeling a tear come to her eye. _Thank you..._

It had been four years since Aria's acceptance into the church. She loved everyone in it, including Frau. However, Aria felt like she needed to move on and live a new life on her own. The nuns and bishops were sad that she was leaving but bid her a happy farewell.

When Aria opened the front doors to exit, she noticed snow falling that night. She saw as it blanketed her path as well as everything surrounding it. She sighed, exasperated, and made her walk outside. Just as she was walking, though, she met up with Frau.

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing outside."

"I'm leaving the church," Aria told him. "I've decided that I need to learn how to live on my own without anyone's help."

Frau's eyes widened. "Wait. What? You can't leave yet!" He saw her stop and turn to him. "I thought you liked it here! What's wrong with it?"

Aria shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. I just thought it would be best to live on my own." She smiled warmly. "You all have been so good to me and it would do me good to learn how to live independently. I don't want to spend the rest of my life depending on you all."

"We think of you as a family member," the blonde said, grabbing her arm. "You shouldn't have to worry about burdening us. We all like having you here."

"But," Aria was slightly confused. "I thought you didn't like me."

Frau raised an eyebrow. "Why would you think something like that? I don't dislike you," he replied.

Aria stared at him. "You seemed so distant whenever we talked, as if you didn't like to hear me. I thought-" She let out a squeak when he pulled her into a tight hug. Her face turned a light pink at how close they were. "Frau..."

"No, that's not true at all," he whispered. "The church wants you to stay... _I_ want you to stay. So don't go." Frau pulled her closer; she could feel his warmth entering her body, making her blush deeper.

She looked into his eyes. "So...you don't mind me staying here?" She felt him nod as his grip got tighter.

"Yes, I'm sure."

The girl giggled and wrapped her arms around Frau, tackling him to the ground. The two laid in the snow for a while, laughing together as they looked at the sky.

Aria turned to Frau and smiled. "Do you remember the first day we met?" she asked him. "When you gave me food and brought me to the church?"

He chuckled, "Of course I do. I was the one you brought you there. Why do you ask?"

Grinning, Aria looked to the sky once more. "I'm still grateful to you and the church for your kindness. I also think I like snow now."

"Oh?" Frau looked over at her. "Why do you say that?"

She giggled again. "Because I have a good memory that I can keep forever."


	15. Prompt 18: Night

**A/N: [Eighteenth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] *squee* First Vampire Knight fic posted here! 8D This one I have more knowledge of, though I'm so behind in the manga and anime that it's ridiculous. **

**Takashi Rachel is © to DarkLolita90 (on deviantART); Aidō Hanabusa is © to Hino Matsuri's Vampire Knight; "E.T." ****is © to Katy Perry**; Story is © to moi~

* * *

**Prompt #18: Night**

**Part 1**

"Maybe love is like luck. You have to go all the way to find it." – Robert Mitchum

**You're so hypnotizing**

**Could you be the devil?**

**Could you be an angel?**

**Your touch magnetizing**

**Feels like I am floating**

**Leaves my body glowing**

Aidō Hanabusa racked his brain for a brilliant idea but no matter what he could come up with, it was no good to him. He had just learned that his friend Takashi Rachel just turned herself into a vampire for him and she had confessed her feelings for him. He couldn't help but feel like he owed her his life.

He hadn't told Rachel about his own feelings for her since he didn't know how she would react. One could say that he was now stuck in a stalemate. Hanabusa was worried about his clan's thoughts on the matter. They would surely reject him if they found out about him falling in love with an ex-human, the daughter of a vampire hunting family.

However, Rachel had informed him that he didn't have to love her back. She was more than happy being with him more than anything else. Those words touched him most of all and his love for her grew much stronger.

**They say, be afraid**

**You're not like the others**

**Futuristic lover**

**Different DNA**

**They don't understand you**

During one of their night classes at Cross Academy, Hanabusa discreetly passed a note to Rachel. She curiously opened it, making sure the teacher didn't spot her, and read the text inside.

"Hey, Rae-chan! How about we go on a date tonight? It'll be fun! You'll come, right?"

She smiled at the blonde vampire and nodded. Then she wrote back and passed it to him: "That sounds like a lot of fun! I'd love to!"

Overcome with joy, Hanabusa stood up from his chair. "Woohoo! I get to go on a date with Rae-chan!" He picked up the girl and swung her around the classroom, disrupting the quiet lesson.

The teacher made a frown and it got deeper with each time he told Hanabusa to sit down. Finally, he yelled, "That's enough, Aidō-san! I am giving you and Takashi-san a detention for being disruptive. You will see me after class and then go straight to the detention hall! Got it?"

Embarrassed, the two teens sat down in their seats. "Yes, sir..."

The following day, Rachel and Hanabusa went on their first date. It felt awkward for Rachel since she still was unaware of how Hanabusa saw her but she plastered on a happy face. She promised herself that she wouldn't screw it up.

Hanabusa took her to an ice cream shop, where they shared a chocolate cone. Rachel blushed but quietly licked her ice cream. It melted in her mouth and the cold taste made her spine chill.

"Well? How does it taste~?" asked Hanabusa. "Do you like it?"

She nodded, black hair tousling. "It's really good! I like it a lot! Thank you!"

He laughed. "Good, I'm glad." Moving the ice cream closer, the blonde made it touch her nose and left behind a small spot of chocolate ice cream. He chuckled again and licked the spot off, watching her face turn completely red.

"H-Hanabusa-kun!"

The blonde laughed even louder at her embarrassment. He loved teasing her.

**You're from a whole 'nother world**

**A different dimension**

**You open my eyes**

**And I'm ready to go**

**Lead me into the light**

~ ღ ~

**Part 2**

"At last you kissed me, I could die in waves again, and one good lick of quicksand took..." - Heather McHugh

**Kiss me, kiss me**

**Infect me with your love and**

**Fill me with your poison**

**Take me, take me**

**Wanna be a victim**

**Ready for abduction**

The next place that Hanabusa and Rachel headed was the ice skating rink. Being the clumsy girl she was, Rachel had some difficulty on the rink but Hanabusa, after a bit of teasing, held her hands as he led her down the ice.

Rachel blushed at their hands touching as well as their close proximities but she happily followed the blonde boy. It was like she was in a dream, something she never thought would happen in her life. It was too good to be true and she didn't want it to end.

"Aww, aren't you two the cutest couple?"

A pale one with a crooked smile and reddish-orange hair, skated over to the two. He smirked at the black-haired Rachel but Hanabusa frowned as he moved next to Rachel. "What do you guys want?"

The redhead glared and pushed him out of the way. "Move it, shorty. No one's talkin' to you. I wanna talk to the cutie next to ya~" He put an arm around Rachel as he snickered. "So how about it, hun? How about you drop that loser and come with me?"

With a light blush, Rachel scooted away from the boy, almost stumbling backwards. "I-I'm sorry but-"

"What'sa matter?" said the redhead male. "Don't tell me that you actually _wanna_ stay with that guy, huh?"

Jealous, Hanabusa's eyes flared up. "Stay away from Rae-chan, bastard!" The ice in the rink became ten times colder around the carrot-top, freezing his feet to the floor. It managed to scare him and Hanabusa took the opportunity to drag Rachel off.

**Boy, you're an alien**

**Your touch so foreign**

**It's supernatural**

**Extraterrestrial**

**This is transcendental**

**On another level**

**Boy, you're my lucky star**

It was around midnight when Hanabusa and Rachel were heading back to the Cross Academy dorms. They stopped around the school's fountain as they were talking. However, as much fun as he had, Hanabusa still couldn't help but feel some guilt.

From what he knew about Rachel, he knew her family would be upset if they discovered that she transformed. It's also possible that she would be forbidden to see her beloved him again. Hanabusa couldn't help but think it over a couple of times. Did he make a mistake and get too close when he shouldn't have?

**I wanna walk on your wave length**

**And be there when you vibrate**

**For you I'll risk it all**

**All**

"Hanabusa-kun?" Rachel placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The boy snapped out of his trance, growing more nervous at seeing his crush's face. "No, I'm fine." Hanabusa looked away, lowering his head to the ground in shame.

She didn't believe him, though. The worried look on his face gave it all away. "I know you're upset about something," she stated. "Just tell me what's bothering you, Hanabusa-kun. Is...it me?"

He shook his head furiously. "No! It's not you at all, Rae-chan!" Then he looked away once more. "I guess you could say that I feel a little guilty. You changed yourself into a vampire so you could be with me. I felt like...I did something wrong. I know your family's going to get mad at you for it."

Rachel listened to Hanabusa, hanging on every word. Her heart filled with tenderness as well as sorrow. He was right. Her family would get mad at her for doing something reckless. She would probably even be shunned for doing so.

But she was prepared. She wasn't going to let it bother her because she her love for Hanabusa was much stronger than her fear of her vampire hunting family. That wouldn't change at all.

With a sweet smile, she hugged Hanabusa around the neck. "You don't need to worry about me or even feel guilty about it, Hanabusa-kun," she said. "My feelings for you won't change. I still love you, even though my family not agree with my decision. I'd do anything for you."

Hanabusa was touched by her words, his heart beating wildly from her sincerity. He smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Oh, really? You'll really do _anything_ for me, Rae-chan~?"

She blushed, muttering "Pervert..." under her breath, but she still smiled at him. Her eyes then widened when he pressed his lips against hers in a sweet kiss.

They kissed passionately under the night sky, holding each other tenderly. After they broke their kiss for air, Hanabusa's eyes turned from blue to red; his bloodlust was egging him on. Rachel could sense it as her own eyes turned red.

He smirked and pulled her closer. Rachel felt his fangs brush lightly against her skin. "You mind sharing blood with me? I'm getting pretty thirsty."

The girl nodded and felt him kiss her neck softly. "Please be gentle."

**Boy, you're an alien**

**Your touch so foreign**

**It's supernatural**

**Extraterrestrial**


	16. Prompt 20: Color

**A/N: [Twentieth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] I absolutely loved _Tangled_! It was such a cutie and it's now one of my favorite Disney movies! *love* The music, the plot, the characters-Ooh! They were all so awesome!**

**Rapunzel and Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert are © to Disney's _Tangled_; Story is © to moi~**

* * *

**Prompt #20: Color**

"Love puts the fun in together, the sad in apart, the hope in tomorrow, the joy in the heart." – Anonymous

Rapunzel squealed to herself. This would be her new bedroom she would share with her beloved husband. She couldn't wait to start decorating!

It was completely empty with clear, white walls and one large window that let in the gushing sunlight. She was much more comfortable in this room than her old home.

That dusty, unwelcoming tower that she had lived in for the past eighteen years…

Her green eyes filled with a bit of sadness as she stared out the window. Her mind brought her back to just a few months before when she lived with her.

Even in that tower, despite all the cruel things she did, she loved her and trusted her deeply. Even now, she still called her "Mother" in both heart and mind…

Her husband Eugene Fitzherbert, previously known as "Flynn Rider," walked into the room holding her old box of paints. "Hey, Rapunzel! I brought something for you~!"

A stray tear had fallen down Rapunzel's cheek and she jumped when she heard his voice. Her heartbeat had increased when he came into the room but it soon calmed.

She knew she was safe with him. Eugene brought so much color, so much light in her dark, desolate room. Her lips curled into a smile and her green eyes lit up at seeing her old treasures. "You really brought them back for me!"

Eugene chuckled. "Of course I did. You told me so much about them so I knew you would want them back."

He handed her the box and her heart pounded at feeling the box in her hands. She hugged it to her chest and then looked up at the brightly lit room.

It was blank now, full of so much white plainness. But that would change very soon~


	17. Prompt 21: Note

**A/N: [Twenty-first fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] This couple is adorable and funny. I love writing about them since their personalities seem to clash in some of the most hilarious ways...in my head. |D**

**Asahina Marise is © to amber-sky (on deviantART); Hirako Shinji is © to Kubo Tite's BLEACH; Story is © to moi~**

* * *

**Prompt #21: Note**

"If a man wants to truly communicate with a woman, he must enter her world of emotions." – Gary Smalley

Logarithms and algebraic expressions… Absolute value inequalities and Pascal's triangle…

All of these difficult formulas and equations to memorize! It was too much for the human brain to take! Well, some people had it easier than others.

_This is no fair! Not fair at all! This is a horrible way to spend class!_

Asahina Marise pouted, crossing her arms as she slumped in her chair. It was the last class of the day, her least favorite and weakest subject: mathematics.

She had a hard time understanding the concepts in this class so she was trying her best to pay attention. The teacher was rather taciturn, a straight-laced, by-the-book type of guy. He wasn't too nice with his students, surprising them with quizzes whenever he had the change.

Marise had tried everything But all of her efforts just drew a blank, frustrating her even more.

Her boyfriend Hirako Shinji sat next to her, scribbling down on a piece of paper. He discreetly handed it to Marise with a grin, showing his upper teeth as usual.

Marise raised an eyebrow and took the small paper, opening it.

It was a note that read: "Ya look constipated. Can't get the math?" She could see him snicker under his breath.

The blonde girl growled under her breath and angrily scratched something down, almost throwing it onto Shinji's desk. She huffed and turned back to the teacher, trying her best to pay attention.

"You're so mean, Shinji!" was her reply. "I'm totally getting this math so don't disturb me!"

"Really?" Shinji wrote back, "I can easily look over yer shoulder and see ya just scribblin' crap down on the paper. "

She quickly wrote: "Well, I'm trying to pay attention! So stop sending me notes! If I fail the next quiz, Mama will kill me!"

She could just imagine her mother's monstrous, bloodthirsty face at seeing such a low grade. There was no way she would get out alive.

"If you're nervous 'bout the next quiz, I can ease that with no problem at all. So where'd ya wanna do it? Outside the school or on the roof~?"

A deep-red blush spread across her cheeks when she saw his next note. She glared daggers at the blonde Visored and embarrassedly wrote: "Stop that, Shinji!"

He chuckled, passing the paper back again. "Aw, don' be embarrassed, Mari-chan. Ya always make the best noises when you relax a little. An' 'specially when I touch the right parts~"

The blonde grew even more embarrassed, knowing he was right. She slammed the paper on his desk with her reply: "Shinji! You're such a pervert! I said stop it already!"

Suddenly, the teacher turned his head at hearing an unusual amount of shuffling. He only saw the students writing down their notes – Mari and Shinji had their heads down as if they, too, were writing. Rolling his eyes, he went back to the lesson.

Marise let out a quiet sigh of relief, knowing she was safe from trouble. She was about to write down more notes but froze when she heard a familiar sound.

DING! DONG! DANG! DONG!

"Class is dismissed," the teacher said. "I expect you to finish your math homework before tomorrow and be prepared for tomorrow's quiz."

"Oh no…!" Marise held her head as she sank deeper into her chair. She saw that her notebook contained nothing but random scribbles, no notes at all. "I'm so gonna fail the next quiz…" she sniffed.

"Well, damn," Shinji looked over her shoulder at the pathetic jumble of words on the notebook paper. "Ya got nothin' outta this, did ya?"

Pissed off, Marise stood up with her notebook in her hands, hitting him pathetically over the head. "Shinji, you idiot!" she whined. "It's all your fault that I don't have any math notes! Your perverted notes distracted me and I didn't learn anything!"

"Hey, you shoulda been payin' attention 'stead of replyin' to my notes," said Shinji.

But his words fell on deaf ears. Marise continued to cry, "Now 'cause of you and your stupid notes, I'm gonna fail the next quiz! Then I'll flunk out of school and Mama will disown me!"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Calm down, ya moron. I'll just tutor ya if that'll make ya happy and stop whining. I got all the notes so I can pass the damn quiz."

He saw his girlfriend pout, lowering the notebook. "No fair! How come you were able to write down everything he said?" Her eyes welled up with anime-tears as she flailed her arms. "How could do that to me? I thought you loved me!"

"Duh," Shinji replied coolly. "'Cause I can multitask, that's why. So stop it already, Mari. Yer makin' a scene."

"WAAAAAHHH! NOW SHINJI HATES ME! YOU THINK I'M ANNOYING! I KNEW IT!" She continued crying so Shinji grumbled as he got down on one knee next to the girl.

He took a lock of her curly, blonde hair and yanked on it gently to get her attention; it was something he'd always do to stop her overreacting and comfort her…in his own odd way.

"Enough, Mari. Quit cryin' already," he muttered. "I don' hate ya, 'kay? An' I don' think yer annoying."

Marise sniffled, calming down. She didn't seem to notice the bored, slightly irritated look on his face and lit up back to her cheerful self. "So you promise to tutor me for the quiz?"

Shinji waved his head. "Yeah, yeah. I better get somethin' outta this. Like sex." He made sure to mumble the last part so only Marise could hear, making her blush.

"Pardon me for intruding," said the teacher as he was packing up his briefcase. "If you two have time to chat, then I'm sure you weren't paying attention when I said class was dismissed. Please take your conversation outside of school grounds."

Again, Shinji rolled his eyes and grabbed his crying girlfriend's arm. "C'mon. The ol' sourpuss don't want us here."

The girl followed quietly behind him but as soon as they exited through the school gates, she jumped on his back. "Yay! I love you, Shinji~ You would be the best tutor than that meanie-butt teacher!"

He smirked. "Aw, yeah? An' what if I'm just as strict? Just 'cause I'm yer boyfriend doesn't mean I'll go easy on ya."

"Shinji! You're so mean!"


	18. Prompt 22: Fire

**A/N: [Twenty-second fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] For one of my other RL friends. She loves Yami Yugi/Atem so much so I wrote up a little special thing for her~ I made up the holiday, though, since I didn't have any Internet connection to do some research. Dx**

**Sora is © to loverofanime13 (on deviantART); Atem/Yami Yugi is © to Takahashi Kazuki's Yū-Gi-Oh!; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #22: Fire**

"To love someone is to understand each other, to laugh together, to smile with your heart and to trust one another..." – Unknown

Crowds of people gathered in a circle outside the palace. They were filled with excitement, for today was a special holiday of honoring the gods. People of all statuses traveled all across Egypt to offer gifts, ranging from incense to gold, and animal sacrifices to the various gods.

The Pharaoh Atem was also at the gathering with sacrifices and presents of his own. He had several of his servants walking in front of him, carrying the cargo, and he followed behind as he talked with the Pharaoh of Upper Egypt.

Not too far ahead, Atem's childhood friend Sora was waiting for him. She snickered to herself as she held up a rope that was tied to a bucket of cold water over an arch. It was just as the first Pharaoh was walking through the arch after bidding a short goodbye to the second. Sora pulled the rope and the water poured all over Atem.

"Ah!" The kaleidoscopic-haired man shivered from the water as his servants ran to him with a new pair of clothing and towels to dry him off. His advisor frowned, looking around for the culprit.

Sora burst into laughter, rolling on the ground. "Oh, man. You should've seen the look on your face! You look stupid!" Her hysterical giggling slowly disappeared when she felt a shadow looming over her.

With narrowing eyes, the advisor grabbed Sora's arm. "Your Majesty, I have found the culprit of this dirty trick." He threw her down in front of him. "Shall I punish him for yo-"

"What was that for?" Atem yelled at Sora. "Was that really necessary, Sora?"

"Of course it was!" Sora yelled back. "You needed to lighten up a bit and quit being so boring-looking! This festival was to honor the gods so it should be a bit more _festive_. It's not some kind of funeral!"

The two continued to argue, completely ignoring the advisor. He finally gave up on trying to intervene since he knew he couldn't get through to them, especially when they started grappling on the ground. They finally stopped when the drums began to play and the people began to group together.

"Oh no!" The advisor helped Atem up, dusting him off. "You must hurry, Your Majesty! The people are starting to come together for the festival!"

Atem glared back at Sora who just made a face at him. He huffed and walked in front of his advisor, calling his servants. The girl watched them leave as her angered frown turned into a sad one. As much as she hated to admit it out loud, she wished to walk with him, by the Pharaoh's side.

~ ღ ~

"Welcome, one and all, to the Festival of the Gods!"

Cheering and loud music echoed through the area. The Pharaohs gave the people a happy greeting, urging them to enjoy the festivities and offer their gifts with humble happiness. In the middle of the circle created by the subjects was going to be a bonfire.

Sora was in charge of lighting the fire but she was not allowed to join in. She wasn't of royal blood nor was she a gifted dancer like the performers that would come to Atem's palace once in a while. It was a dream of her to dance beside those large, powerful flames but it would be much better if she could dance with-

"Hey, Sora!" Atem stood behind her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

She slapped on a happy grin. "Yeah, I'm fine! Never been better!"

Atem could see right through her phony facade, and Sora knew it, too, but he decided not to press further at the moment. "Um...all right, then. If you say so." He had wanted to say something more but Sora was called to light the flame.

"Whoops! Gotta go before I'm scolded. See ya!" Sora rushed off with the torches with a sigh of relief, holding back the hot tears that threatened to fall.

That dream would never come true, she thought. _We may be friends but it won't go further than that. I know that for a fact._

Once out of Atem's eyeshot, she lit up the wood and the fire spread and burst. Everyone began running towards the bonfire as it was ignited. The music changed to a faster, more upbeat tune and the dancers surrounded the flames, twirling and swirling like the wind. Members of the royal family joined them, holding hands as they danced, including Atem himself.

Sora watched from the sidelines, seeing the excited look on his face. He looked beautiful in her eyes and was glad to see him in such a good mood. If that was all she could have instead of her wish, then that would make her more than content.

Atem did catch her staring and looked over. He stopped in his tracks and saw the tears streaming down her face. He knew exactly what she wanted, what her dream was. Running over to her, he grabbed Sora's hand. "Come on! Don't be shy!"

"Wait! But-"

Atem laughed as he dragged her down to the bonfire, holding her other hand now. He guided her in a two-person dance around the fire, urging her to go with the beat. Sora noticed some people watching her but she looked back into Atem's eyes, knowing that he acknowledged her feelings.

She smiled at him as she clutched his hands tightly. "Why not?"

The two finally began to dance and laugh together as the flames of their love ignited and burst with a newfound hope.


	19. Prompt 23: Path

**A/N: [Twenty-third fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] One of my favorite pairings in Naruto! w I really hope that Naruto and Hinata get together. They would be such a cute couple! Had some inspiration from Chapter 573 of the manga~**

**Uzumaki Naruto and ****Hyūga Hinata** © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~

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**Prompt #23: Path**

"And what do all the great words come to in the end but that? I love you – I am at rest with you – I have come home." – Dorothy Sayers

They both had lived a life of emptiness – one born as the Jinchūriki, the vessel holding a monster that once terrorized a great nation, the other the heiress to that same nation's finest clan.

No one looked at them favorably; no one even acknowledged their existence, their talents, their strengths or even weaknesses. They were cast out as worthless, not even qualified to gain respect from peers.

Yet, despite their similar pasts, they grew up rather differently.

He grew up as the village prankster, the class clown, and number one knucklehead ninja. A smile was always plastered on his face, whether it be mischievous or sweet.

She grew up pampered, reserved, and timid, the firstborn daughter of the Hyūga's main branch clan, an heiress to soon lead the clan with everyone's expectations thrust upon her. But she couldn't meet their expectations and her father pushed her aside with ease.

Fate had a funny way of having these two meet. They unexpectedly crossed paths at the Konogakure Ninja Academy.

She saw him and was smitten. That bright smile, as vibrant and beautiful as the sun, made her heart lift. It brought her to watch him as much as she could. Over the years, he grew as a person and it inspired her greatly.

Her silent, secret prayers were answered one momentous day. She faced off against one of her kin, feeling her fear permeate and break her spirit at seeing him tear her down.

But his words and smile saved her once again. They gave her the courage to stand tall and fight, even though she failed in her goal.

It didn't stop her, though. She vowed to continue her journey. The obstacles would no longer frighten her.

His smile remained in the back of her mind as she trained for the past two and a half years, encouraging her to strengthen both her body and soul.

She would let him see once more her strength and all would be right.

~ ღ ~

He remembered that vivid memory. Three simple words stopped all other thoughts, other assumptions of her that he ever had in his mind.

"I love you."

Then she ran out on the battlefield, risking her own life, to protect what was most dear to her. And that was him.

Seeing her almost die before him set off such passionate emotions. She had done so much for him in the past, although it might not have been much.

She was there for him then and was there for him even at that moment. He knew that now and refused to forget.

Her voice saying those sweet words rang through his head as he headed onto the battlefield. He realized now that she was precious to him.

Like the friends he had acquired in his childhood, he had acquired the dearest love.

In his heart, he made his own secret vow that he would return to her. To her loving arms and open heart. They would laugh together, smile together, be happy together.

They liked the paths they chose, for they knew those paths would eventually meet.


	20. Prompt 24: Symbol

**A/N: [Twenty-fourth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Another fic for my RL friend and I'm going off on my limited knowledge of the show. Forgive me... *cries in a corner***

**Sora is © to loverofanime13 (on deviantART); Atem/Yami Yugi is © to Takahashi Kazuki's Y****ū-Gi-Oh!**; Story is © to moi~

* * *

**Prompt #24: Symbol**

"Love reminds you that nothing else matters." - Amy Bushell

Atem snuck off to the royal gardens instead of going to one of the important lectures scheduled for him that day. He had planned to meet his childhood friend, now lover, Sora. It had been one year since they got together but everyone had yet to know of their secret romance.

He hurried deeper into the large paths of brush and bushes until he met up with the black-haired female. She had also snuck out from doing her chores to come meet with him. Sora smiled as she saw him coming up the pathway. "I thought you were going to be late. Guess you decided to be on time today."

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes. "Don't lump me in the same category as you. I'm never late for appointments." His arms wrapped themselves around her waist as hers wrapped around his neck. "But let's forget about tardiness and 'schedules' for now."

Sora grinned, rubbing her nose against his. "Fine, whatever you say," she teased. She grabbed his hand and they hid themselves inside the patches of flowers and shrubs. They made sure to be quiet in case someone would hear them.

As they walked, Sora skipped as she held Atem's hand. She looked into his eyes and asked, "Hey. Do you love me, Atem? Tell me the truth."

"Of course I do," Atem replied as he frowned at her, ruffling her hair. "I wouldn't have wanted to be with you if I didn't. I loved you even as a friend."

She was happy to hear his response. "Okay, then. So what do you love about me? Tell me everything you love about me!"

It made the Pharaoh blush and he looked away, stopping in his tracks. Sora giggled at his shyness and squeezed his hand gently. "Aw, don't be shy. I can easily tell you what I love about you~"

"Sora... Please don't ask me that. I-"

"Really, Atem! I wanna know!" she whined playfully. "Do you not love anything about me?"

"I love everything about you!" Atem exclaimed. "Why do you have to put me on the spot like that?"

Sora rolled her eyes. "You're such a baby."

This made Atem's blush deeper and he glared at her. "Am not!"

"Fine. To prove you're not a baby and that you love everything about me," She leaned closer to him so their noses were touching, "then show me. Kiss me on the lips."

Embarrassed, Atem backed away. "All right! Just promise not to laugh at me." He heard her snicker a bit and glared at her. "Close your eyes already! Jeez!"

She rolled her eyes again and closed them. He blushed but smiled warmly at seeing her patient face, waiting for his kiss. Atem felt more at ease, even though his heart was still pounding like mad. He slowly leaned closer and his lips pressed against hers. The kiss quickly turned from sweet to passionate as the two embraced, holding each other tightly.

They finally pulled away for air and Atem stared down at her. "That was the symbol of my love for you."


	21. Prompt 25: Lightning

**A/N: [Twenty-fifth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Kakashi would be awesome boyfriend material. He'd be so funny but so perverted at the most unexpected of times. At least that's what I'm thinking. |D**

**Hayashi Naeka is © to SubtleQuirks (on deviantART); Hatake Kakashi is © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~**

* * *

**Prompt #25: Lightning**

**Part 1**

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Checkmate. I win again."

"Damn it, Kakashi! You must be cheating at this game!"

Hatake Kakashi and his girlfriend Hayashi Naeka were inside their shared apartment playing several rounds of checkers. They had originally planned to go on a date but the bad weather outside prevented them from doing so.

And to make matters worse, for Naeka, Kakashi was winning every game. Each time, she would constantly ask for a rematch and Kakashi would calmly tell her that she would lose _again_. It didn't stop her, though.

"Come on! You can't possibly be good at checkers!" Naeka whined playfully as anime-tears came from her eyes. "You have to be cheating somehow!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "You're about as stubborn as Gai. Let's play another game, Naeka. I'm getting bored."

She pouted. "Fine. Killjoy…" Naeka looked through the closet for more board games. "Do you have any other games in here? All you've got is checkers?"

"We could watch TV," Kakashi suggested. "I heard about some movie that was going to come on."

"Can't," said Naeka. "The electric company warned against turning on electronics or even the lights 'cause of the storm. And speaking of which…" She turned off the lights that illuminated the apartment.

The silver-haired Jnin sighed. "I preferred the lights to be on. What do you expect us to use if not lightbulbs?"

Naeka rolled her eyes. "Duh. Candles." She picked up some thin candles out of a nearby drawer, lighting them up one by one with a match. She placed them in front of Kakashi as she smirked. "Now what should we do?"

Behind the mask he wore, Kakashi snickered. Naeka raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was thinking. "With this nice candlelight, we could have sex. Gives a pretty kinky aura, don't you think?" He saw her frown at him.

"Damn pervert. I should've known what you were thinking." Naeka turned around as she looked for more candles. Kakashi wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm not in the mood."

He chuckled. "That can be fixed. You give in too easily." His grip got tighter as he brushed his covered lips against her neck. "Come on, Naeka-chan~"

The dark-haired woman pushed him off playfully. "We can do it later. Let's just find something else to do to pass the time." She found a book of horror stories and grinned. "Hey, how about we read these?"

Kakashi stared blankly. "Scary stories? We're not at camp, like a couple of kids."

"I know that!" she said as she punched him lightly in the arm. "I mean, we could have a contest! Let's see who can scare each other first! How about it?"

He took the book in his hands and shrugged. "Fine. Why not? Just know that if I win, you give me what I want."

His girlfriend gave him a determined grin as she pumped a fist into the air. "You're on, Kakashi! And you give me what _I_ want if I win. This'll payback for using dirty tricks to win at checkers!"

"I didn't use dirty tricks," Kakashi responded dryly. "You just suck."

She frowned, pointing a finger accusingly at her boyfriend. "I do not suck at checkers! You will not get away with it! Prepare to go down, Hatake!"

~ ღ ~

**Part 2**

"Somewhere there's someone who dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worth while, so when you are lonely, remember this is true: Somebody, somewhere is thinking of you." - Unknown

Sitting down on either side of the candlelight, Kakashi and Naeka started with their scare-off. Naeka began the contest with the first story, opening the book and reading out loud.

"It was a dark and stormy night-"

"Yawn," Kakashi cut her off, making her growl at him. "I can't believe the story starts off with that. Do you really expect to scare me with something unoriginal?"

Naeka's frown deepened. "Fine. Then you start off with a story."

She was about to hand him the book until the windows burst open from the storm. Kakashi pushed her out of harm's way as some of the rain poured inside. Lightning flashed just a few feet away from the apartment complex and wind followed behind, blowing out the candle's light.

Kakashi pulled Naeka close as he laid against the wall. The room was dark and the floor was wet from the rain. All of the other candles were also wet, leaving them with no light. "That was close. So much for our 'scare-off' contest."

He and Naeka got up and began barricading the window shut. The lightning flashed once more, which caught Naeka's attention. "Wow, it's really bad out tonight. But the lightning looks really cool from here." She watched as it flashed again, her eyes lighting up.

"It looks cool as my Chidori, too," Kakashi told her. "It's not like you've never seen lightning before."

The woman turned around with a smirk. "True. So what are we supposed to do now?"

Once again, the lightning flashed and the thunder cracked. Kakashi chuckled as he smiled. "We could just sit here and watch the storm. It sounds a little weird but there's nothing else to do." He placed a hand on her shoulder as she stared at him, confused. "So? What do you say?"

Naeka sighed. "I guess that's fine," she giggled as she laid against his chest, "since it's something I can agree upon as well."

The two embraced and shared a little kiss. In each other's arms, they laid against the wall and watched the storm through the little openings in the blocked window.

It gave Naeka a sense of peace just watching the lightning and the rain, hearing the thunder rumble. She cuddled against her boyfriend as he held her close, leaning his head against her neck.

"It feels so nice just to watch this, ya know?"

Kakashi nodded quietly. "I guess you're right. Though I still think it should have happened some other time. I really wanted to take you out on that date."

"That could happen another time, too," Naeka teased.

They looked towards the window again and the silence filled the room. Kakashi then broke the ice as he clutched his girlfriend closer, his lips on her neck. "So can we have sex now?"

She nudged him as she scoffed. "Damn it, Kakashi. You really know how to ruin the moment, don't you?"


	22. Prompt 26: Silk

**A/N: [Twenty-sixth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] OMG, Roy Mustang is so badass! I loved watching him in both FMA and FMAB! *squee***

**Cassie Williams is © to Sky-Rose-of-the-Moon (deviantART); Roy Mustang is © to Arakawa Hiromu's Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood); Story is © to moi~**

* * *

**Prompt #26: Silk**

**Part 1**

"The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance." - Unknown

It was one day before Cassie Williams' birthday and her boyfriend Roy Mustang had no idea what to get her. Just a week before, he had gone on a search for a good birthday present but work had forced from searching any further.

Now he was scrambling at the last minute, asking his lieutenant and some of his co-workers for advice, observing other women in what they liked, and even trying to beat around the bush while talking with Cassie.

But he was coming up empty-handed. Time was running out and Roy was getting frustrated.

"Jeez, this is annoying. I can't believe I haven't come up with anything." He leaned against the wall after leaving a jewelry store, running a hand through his short, black hair. Again, he had nothing that would make the perfect present.

He wanted to make this special for Cassie, since he had given her various presents in the past. Jewelry, romantic dinners, bouquets of flowers, everything in the book. And now he was running on empty. He had nothing.

Roy sighed once more and put back on his hat. He was just about to head off to another store until he heard a "Psst!" not too far behind him. The curious Colonel turned around at the sound, seeing a decrepit, old woman calling him over.

He looked around before pointing to himself. "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course I am! Now, come over here!" She waved her hand again, urging him to come closer.

Once again, Roy looked around before strolling down the dark alley where she hid. "Is there something you need, Ma'am? Are you in trouble?"

The elderly woman cackled, "Oh, no! I've been watching you, young man. You seem to be in a predicament! Perhaps I can help?"

Despite her seemingly kind offer, Roy didn't seem convinced. In fact, he was rather hesitant to ask for help from a stranger. "No, thank you, Ma'am. I think I can handle it. I appreciate the offer, though." He tipped his hat and turned away.

But the old woman was persistent. "No, no! I must help! I believe I can help you. You are trying to find a present for someone special, yes?"

He nodded wearily. "For my girlfriend. Her birthday's tomorrow and I have no idea what to get her. I've gotten her everything a woman could want in the past few years. I want to give her something new."

Again, the old woman cackled. "I think I can help you, young man. Have you ever heard of a silk rose?" She reached into the purse on her shoulder and pulled out a lovely red rose made of silk. It looked so realistic to be made of silk.

Roy was definitely impressed. "Wow. It's beautiful! How did you make that?" He reached out to feel the petals. They were so soft and smooth, just like a real rose petal.

"That is my little secret," said the woman. "I believe that your lady friend will love such a gift. Much better than a normal rose. Please take it." She placed the silk rose in his hand and patted his fingers around it. "Now for price! I will give you a discount since you're in a hurry."

Immediately, the Colonel reached for his wallet. "Thank you very much! I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience to y-"

"1000 is the lowest offer I can give!" She didn't seem fazed when Roy's jaw dropped. "You can pay, yes?"

The black-haired male looked down into his wallet. It was rather expensive but he thought it was worth making Cassie happy. "I think I can do it," he said with a smile and handed her the bills.

"Thank you, young man," mused the old woman as she placed the bills in her purse. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

~ ღ ~

**Part 2**

"A gift, with a kind countenance, is a double present." - Unknown

The day of Cassie's birthday, Roy made his way to her apartment. Cassie hadn't planned an extravagant birthday party because of the piles of work in Central. She was more than happy to spend it with Roy since they would both be off on her special day.

Dressed in some casual clothing, Roy knocked on the door and out came his girlfriend. She greeted him with a hug and a big, wet smooch on the lips before letting him inside. The house was cleaned up with some balloons and streamers. A two-layer chocolate cake sat on the table surrounded by a delicious dinner.

"You cooked yourself?" Roy asked. "I thought you wanted to go out to eat."

"Nah, I wanted to eat at home today," Cassie giggled. "Too much hassle outside and I wanted to have a quiet party this year."

She held his hand and led him to the table, sitting him down. Then she sat next to him and took some of the steaming hot food with a fork. Roy blushed, knowing what she was going to do. "Come on, Cassie. I can feed myself."

The blonde pouted. "But it's my birthday. I want to feed you!" she whined. "Now, say 'ah,' Roy~!"

He sighed and opened his mouth with a monotonous "Aaaahhh." Cassie laughed at his expression and placed some of the food in her own mouth, musing at the taste. Roy took the opportunity to start feeding himself.

After dinner, they had some of the birthday cake. Cassie had tried to feed Roy again but he continuously refused, only to have the cake shoved down his throat.

"So," she asked, "what did you get my for my birthday?"

Roy swallowed, almost choking on his piece of cake. He couldn't believe he had almost forgot and mentally slapped himself. _Damn, I better give it to her before I forget._

He got up and went to his coat pocket, reaching inside. Clasping his fingers around the silk rose, Roy hid it behind his back. He strolled over to the birthday girl who was clapping her hands with glee.

"Ooh! What'd you get me? What'd you get me?"

The Colonel chuckled and handed her the silk rose. "I had a hard time thinking about what to get you since I had given you almost everything else in the years back. I hope you like it."

Cassie's emerald eyes lit up when she saw the rose and took it in her hands. She rubbed the silk petals between her finger tips and let out a squeal. "Thank you so much! It's beautiful!"

Out of his lips escaped a chuckle, "I'm glad that you like it, Cassie." He placed a hand on her head and kissed her forehead. "Where do you plan to put it?"

She pressed her finger to her lip and then placed the faux flower in her hair. A big smile curled against her lips as she twirled around. "I'll put it here~ What do you think?"

Roy let out another laugh. "That's fine with me."


	23. Prompt 27: Waterfall

**A/N: [Twenty-seventh fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Forever and always... Sasuke will be a jerk but now in Shippuuden, he's a very _hot_ jerk. xD**

******Shizuoka Namine "Mira"** is © to Maya1121 (on deviantART); Uchiha Sasuke is © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~

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**Prompt #27: Waterfall**

"The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness which becomes at times almost insupportable." – Victor Hugo

Three in the morning was the time when Uchiha Sasuke and Shizuoka Namine, also known as "Mira" by those who knew her, were arriving home from their four-day mission.

Both were exhausted from lack of sleep and that lack of sleep made them fail the mission. The Hokage was sure to get upset. They were also exhausted from being teammates.

The two shinobi didn't get alone too well – Sasuke thought Mira was an annoying loudmouth, like his other teammates Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. Mira, on the other hand, believed him to be an emo-ish prick.

Whenever Mira would accompany Team 7 on some of their missions, she and Sasuke would usually end up in a heated argument about who was right or who was stupider than the other. Before it got any worse, the Jnin instructor Hatake Kakashi would interfere.

He brought it to the Hokage's attention that it would be best to work on Sasuke and Mira's teamwork and suggested them to have a mission together.

And so…this happened.

~ ღ ~

"Tch. Nice going, idiot," were the first words that left Sasuke's mouth.

The dark-skinned girl pouted, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, hell no. You are _not_ blaming me for a mission that _you_ obviously screwed up."

"Me?" Sasuke argued. "You were the one who let him get away!"

"Oh, please!" Mira retorted. "You were the one who wasn't fast enough to keep up with the other guy. Too busy with your stupid "Sharingan" technique!"

Sasuke growled under his breath, "It takes time to prepare and you know it! A stupid girl like you couldn't understand something like that."

Mira looked away as she huffed. "As if I'd wanna understand! You stupid Uchiha think you're so great! You're nothing but a big joke to me!"

"What did you say?"

A loud crackle vibrated through the forest, followed by a flash of lightning and heavy flow of rain. Mira squeaked at getting wet while Sasuke calmly stood in his place.

"There's no time to be arguing," he said. "Let's hurry and find shelter."

He was right; Mira had to agree. Standing out in the rain wouldn't help them in any way. She nodded and followed silently behind him.

The two stumbled upon a large waterfall and lake in the middle of the forest. Sasuke went ahead and looked behind the waterfall, spotting a cave just behind the water. He ushered Mira to follow him inside once he noticed the coast was clear.

"We can stay in here until the rain stops," he replied and Mira replied with a silent nod.

It was quiet between the two. They stayed in opposite sides of the cave. Sasuke had thought of making a fire but there was no wood to burn. He grumbled as he leaned against the wall.

Mira sat, huddling her legs against her chest and shivering from the cold. She kept stealing glances at the Uchiha as her eyes narrowed even more.

Of all the places, she had to be stuck with _him_? He was so arrogant and mean to everyone, always blaming her for things that went wrong. And the girls went gaga over him. It made her sick.

_Hmph. He's not that cute,_ Mira scowled. _I feel sorry for those girls who like him. They have no idea of how much of a jerk he is._

Sasuke noticed the girl trembling and removed the jacket he was currently wearing, wrapping it around her body. "Here. You'll catch cold if you stay like that. And that would be even more troublesome."

"If it's so 'troublesome' for you, then I don't need your fake pity," Mira snapped. "I can take care of myself—"

"Quit whining," said Sasuke, "Just take it. And be grateful.'

She scoffed. _Well. Isn't he the touchy one?_

Their eyes met for a split second and Mira got a good look at Sasuke's face. His dark, onyx eyes were deep and piercing, his nose protruding in an elegant manner, high cheekbones like a model.

And his lips… Her eyes scaled down to his lips. They looked so soft and kissable…

Immediately, Mira turned her head and Sasuke scoffed, turning his head as well. She couldn't believe what she had just imagined but what was worse… The image was still stuck in her mind! But still…

Her head came up with all sorts of insults but instead she blurted out, "I don't want to fight with you anymore, Sasuke."

The boy lifted his head as he stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? Don't say weird stuff like that."

"I'm serious!" Mira exclaimed. "Kakashi-sensei constantly had to intervene whenever we fight and I'm getting sick of it. What on earth is the point in fighting with you when we're supposed to be teammates?"

Sasuke didn't reply. She was so annoying in his eyes. But he began to rethink his current opinion. In that moment, when their eyes met, he could feel his heart beat increase in that split second.

Did he just think she was pretty?

He mentally slapped himself. _There's no time for stuff like that. I have to focus on getting stronger!_

His eyes wandered again to Mira and he sighed to himself. Then they fell to her lips, those perfectly plump lips…

"Hey, the rain stopped," Mira said as she pointed towards the clearing sky through an opening from the waterfall. "We should hurry back to the—"

"No. Let's just sleep here for the night," Sasuke interrupted. "Besides, we need the rest. It would be better to leave when we have more energy."

Mira sighed, "Fine," before turning to her side to lie down. However, she could feel Sasuke staring at her. She frowned. "What?"

He shook his head as his eyes refused to tear themselves away. "Nothing." Slowly, the Uchiha leaned closer as he closed his lids pressing his lips gently against Mira's.

The girl froze but didn't fight back. She didn't even push him away. Instead, she returned the gesture and closed her own eyes. Their lips caressed for a mere minute before the two retracted for air.

It took no words, no explanation of any sort. Mira laid against Sasuke's shoulder with him against her head and they slept soundly for the remainder of the night.

And the rain began to fall once more…


	24. Prompt 28: Memories

**A/N: [Twenty-eighth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Such a cute idea! *squeals* But I had a hard time deciding where to put this fanfic. I know it's a _fanfic_ but it didn't have any other characters that belonged to the manga/anime. So...I put it here. I hope it isn't taken off. Dx**

**Toriyama Aito is © to DarkLolita90 (on deviantART); Universe/Setting is © to Hino Matsuri's Vampire Knight; Tsukino Kalia and Story are © to moi~**

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**Prompt #28: Memories**

"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness."' – Oliver Wendell Holmes

He used to hate her smile. It made him sick to his stomach whenever she smiled; it was too sweet and carefree, oblivious to everything else around her.

She was nothing but a stupid girl in his eyes. She was rather plain in appearance and on top of that, very timid and shy. No confidence whatsoever.

At first, he paid the girl no mind, focusing on the many shallow women hanging on his arms 24/7. In truth, he was lonely and insecure. He had no one in his life, no one who cared for him.

It was when she reached out her hand to him that she caught him off guard. Her kindness struck him and softened his heart.

He grew attached to her as time passed. It became harder to bear with his growing feelings towards her. He remembered that well.

One evening, he tried to push her away. But she opened her mouth to say it and out came those three desired words: "I love you."

His heart almost stopped but he was happy. He repeated those words but with more sincerity and desperation, hoping she wouldn't push away.

She surprised him with the sweetest of smiles, accompanied with shy, sparkling tears of joy. He made sure to remember the beautiful face she made before they embraced.

**Such a lovely memory…**


	25. Prompt 30: Chance

**A/N: [Thirtieth fanfic of the Valentine's Day 30 Theme Challenge] Yay! Last fanfic in this collection! And it's for UlquiHime fans! *love* I hope everyone who read this group of stories enjoyed it! I know I enjoyed writing them~ w**

**Inoue Orihime and Ulquiorra Schiffer are © to Kubo Tite's BLEACH; Story is © to moi~**

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**Prompt #30: Chance**

"The man that deserves you the most is the man that thinks he doesn't." – Unknown

BA-BUMP!

The blood gradually began pumping throughout his pasty-white body, the movement slowly coming back to his clawed fingers and toes.

He was locked into a bottomless void, feeling nothing but distance from those who were living. Perhaps this was death? He _had_ been killed so there was no mistake.

It was so dark, he couldn't see himself, not even a hand lifted in front of his face. He was used to being alone but not like this.

No. This was worse than being alone. In Hueco Mundo, he could take but now… He hated every second of it. He wanted out of this darkness. He wanted life once more, another chane.

To see her face again… He knew he couldn't have her but still… If he could just see her once more, he would be happy, never asking for anything else.

A bright light shot through that darkness, that vacuum. He could hear a faint ringing sound…like some kind of bell, followed by a sad, shivering voice: "Come back."

His heartbeat… He could hear his heartbeat once again. The pain he had felt before death was evaporating, as if it were being sucked away. He heard it again, this time much more desperate.

"Please… Come back to me."

He felt a warm tear slide down his face. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing those dark green orbs with cat-like slits. The bright, golden light almost blinded him as he looked up.

Shining silver eyes filled to the brim with tears, falling down and splashing against his face. Her pale, perfect lips were scrunched up in a timid frown as she trembled.

Her small hands were grazing over him, his wounds disappearing at a much faster rate. He could see her jaw drop at his open eyes and her lips now curled into a sweet smile.

"Welcome back…Ulquiorra."

Another chance had been given…


End file.
